Run Away
by shovelgirlERB000
Summary: Charlie was the fifth werewolf in the pack that the Edison Group created; a packmate to Derek. Her dad takes her away from the EG, but is soon murdered. About to go through her first Change, she runs away from her distrusting mother, and is soon captured by a vampire society and given to Kit. But secrets from her past, before Derek, come back to haunt her. What will she do? R&R PLZ
1. Getting Bricked

**Hello everyone! I know, bad ERB for starting a new story with three already in progress, but I have this idea and if I don't start I'll lose it. Yes, the main character isn't a vampire, but she gets caught up with them after the first chapter. I'll update the story pic as soon as I can, because I drew it myself and have to get it on the computer, simple; unless you don't have a webcam. I'll get it eventually. R&R, please. Five for updates. ENJOY (hopefully!)**

I ran away. My mum didn't understand me, my pop was murdered when I was three by the pack he abandoned to start anew with my mum. Yes, I said pack; big deal. If you were one of us, you'd understand. I'd run away because my mum thought me a monster. I'm fourteen, soon to go through my first change. You wouldn't understand, just like my mum. I'm Charlotte McKenzie, but unless you call me Charlie you'll end up against a wall.

I'm tall, about 5'9, with orangey-red hair that comes to my shoulders. I'm strong, too. Like I said, Charlie or you'll end up pinned to the wall. My temper matches my hair, and my eyes are a brilliant amber. Like a wolves. It runs in my dad's family; for a reason too. You'd think it would clash with my hair, but they compliment each other nicely. Now personal descriptions are over with, on with why I'm attempting this 'madness', as my mum would call it.

I am not as normal as your average teen, just going through a 'phase', no. My obsession is wolves; how they live and behave. Many people think I'm just an enviro-fanatic. There's not a particle of silver in our house, dad insisted and I agreed. It was against mum's will, but she didn't understand then. Silver is dangerous, for me and my kind anyways.

That brings us back to the reason for my sudden… umm… departure. Pop's side of the family are part of a big pack. Werewolves. There was a ninety-five percent chance that I would be human with only mild lycanthrope traits; that's why he took the risk with my mum. However, the minority prevailed and I'm a full-fledged werewolf. Well, almost. I'm still a pup until I've completed the change. I've been have the tell-tale seizures for the past few weeks, and they've been slowly escalating to partial changes; ears moving, fur growing, tail extending and bones breaking. I tell you, it's not fun.

Mum was freaked out at first, she was gonna call a doctor because dad hadn't told her and neither had I. However, if the doctor came I would have to have a blood test, and my lycanthropy would be exposed. Mega bad. On the off chance that the doctor was a Were in hiding, which is about one in twenty nonillion, I would be whisked away against my will to his clan and be inducted; that would get me in the same place as my dad.

I was going against every instinct in my body, running away. We have a very strong sense of pack and protective instincts. My mum was pack, and running away was abandoning her. I've luckily inherited my dad's suppressed pack urge, so it wasn't all too difficult. I must say, though, it hurts me mentally knowing my mum is probably glad that I'm gone. She won't have to deal with a teen werewolf anymore.

My senses were on hyper drive, making all the details of the dark night crystal clear. I could smell every trace, see every shadow and hear the slightest noises in the darkness. A hobo wandered up to me, his rags swaying with his movement. If he was a Were, his putrid odour covered the scent that emanated from those of our kind.

"Would you like some lovely silver spoons?" He asked in a smooth, cunning voice that didn't fit with his appearance. I didn't answer, so he took that as a yes (stupid man) and tried to place one of the silver utensils into my hand. I jumped back; just being so close to the infernal substance put me on edge and made my skin crawl. Underneath the dirty brown hood that obscured his face, I could sense a smirk forming.

"You're one of them, are you?" he cackled. The sound made my hair stand on end. I tried to shake my head, but I was a terrible liar. I whimpered, a noise that a human would never be able to make, and tried to scrabble away. I was successful, for about five minutes. The hobo, who now made it apparent that he wasn't a hobo, threw off his rags. They took the stench with them, which was a relief for my nose; but the scent that now wafted from this man was one that my dad had always told me to run from if it even faintly traced across my path.

_Vampire._

**What do you think so far? Let me know in the reviews!**

**~ERB000~**


	2. The Change

**This chapter has a lot in it that most people would keep for the end. Don't worry, they don't act on it immediately, but they're working on it. Enjoy! **

I put on all the speed I could manage and, being faster than your average superstar track athlete by about… 50-90mph, that was a pretty good top speed; faster than most vehicles. I would have had an advantage if my pursuer was human, but alas **(A/N: I love that word!)**, he was a vampire. In other words, a _lot_ faster and stronger than me. I knew that, when he caught me, he wouldn't turn me; I was valuable material. A lone, teenage werewolf with no pack and no one to come seeking vengeance.

I lasted longer than I expected to; my pack, I knew, were the fittest physically and mentally, and so stood a better chance in something like this. However, he inevitably got over my speed and caught me. I kicked and growled and bit and fought my hardest. It's such a shame werewolf venom doesn't work on vamps; really. We, however, aren't so lucky. Vampire toxins will turn us into monsters, undead and dangerous.

He was surprisingly weak, for a vampire, and struggled to hold onto me. My increased stamina and endurance weren't helping either. Eventually, he thwacked me over the head with something that felt like a brick. Hard. Almost immediately, I began seeing stars and blacked out at his feet.

"You could have killed her!" Was the first thing I heard. It was a male voice, unfamiliar to me, whisper-shouted at someone who I assumed to be my captor.

"She's a Were, she should be waking up anytime now," he replied calmly, I could imagine his face; the slight smirk touching his lips as his companion frazzled himself.

"How do you know?" He once again whisper-shouted, seeming genuinely concerned. "For all you know, she could just not want to be touched by some filthy hobo!" He was hyper. I was actually enjoying this; I mean, since when do Vampires care about the wellbeing of werewolves? The argument continued, and the longer I stayed 'unconscious', the more frazzled and agitated vamp #1 got and the more frustrated and unsure vamp 2 started behaved.

I finally decided to put them out of their misery. Silently propping myself up on my elbow, I watched them go at each other another few minutes, wondering how they were both still alive.

"I don't mean to interrupt the _very _entertaining war going on here, but I'm hungry. And whichever one of you brought me here, you owe me for the bricking," I chimed in, and they looked at me like I'd grown two heads.

"H-how long have you b-been l-listening?" said the one to the right. I recognised the voice as the one who defended me. I pretended to look thoughtful.

"Hmmm… I think since this whole argument started. The first thing I heard was 'you could have killed her'," I replied. I knew that my 'foot-in-mouth syndrome' would get me into a lot of trouble one day, probably soon. He opened his mouth to say something, but a low, animalistic whine bubbled from the back of my throat. _No, not here! _I begged my body, but it appeared to have made itself up. Contrary to popular belief, our changes have _nothing_ to do with the cycle of the moon. That would be more convenient, though.

They looked at me in confusion, wanting to know how I had made it and, more specifically, wanting to know why I had made the noise the noise at that particular moment.

"You wanna hope this room is soundproof," I growled at them, not intentionally. My vocal chords always changed first. _Why now? _I thought as I let loose a piercing howl that made them jump.

I knew that this time I would complete it. I convulsed as bones and cartilage shifted, changing my physical appearance. Let me tell you, the pain I was going through was indescribable; the closest I can get is being hit over and over again by a spiked battering ram times ten. I barely noticed the argument going on next to me and almost didn't notice the cool, hard hand that rested on my back afterwards. Frightened, I looked up and saw genuine worry in the face of the one who defended me. He cared. I looked away as my face shifted.

As the fur grew, thick, course and tawny red, my tail extended. As quick as it had come, it stopped. I lay panting, resting my head in the lap of the nicer vampire. _Maybe they set it off? _I asked myself, knowing that being surrounded by other non-humans had helped me; particularly the one who had sat near me and gently rubbed my back. I wondered if it was true vampires could read minds.

"It is. It's just harder than you think," said the kind voice from above me. He was still stroking my ears with one hand, the other resting in its place between my shoulders. I was comforted knowing that he was here.

_Where's the other one? _I thought, not to myself but to the thing above me. He must have been surprised that I could will messages across, because he jumped.

"Sorry," he apologized. "No one's ever been able to do that before. Antonio left. I'm Ricardo, but unless you want to end up drained you'll call me Ricky. Got it?" he said, his voice hardening near the end of his little speech.

_Don't worry, I understand. I'm Charlotte, but unless you call me Charlie I will maul you. Why did Brick-Boy leave? _I asked, coming up with a new nickname for my captor, Antonio. It made Ricky laugh.

"Apparently, werewolves become uncontrollable beasts when they change. That's the rumour, anyways. He wanted me to leave too, but I couldn't. You were in so much pain and you looked terrified. Unlike every other vampire here, I still have morals and feelings, and they know it. What's with the constant references to bricks?" he asked, genuinely curious.

_I came in here unconscious because I was about to escape and he hit me on the head with the nearest thing he could find: a brick. _I told him, and for a second his eyes filled with rage.

Scared he would do something he would regret, I licked his hand gently. He jumped, but all the rage left his eyes and he smiled at me. Ricky was nice, and I liked him. I don't know why, but the fact that he cared about me made me automatically accept him as pack. He seemed to sense that, because he started messing with my head.

"Do I taste good?" he asked playfully. I didn't know what to say, and if I could have I would have blushed. I was thankful for the fur.

To be honest, he did taste good. I couldn't explain it, but it was like all the home cooking my mum did (she's a professional chef) times a million. Something must have passed through my eyes or, more likely, he delved purposefully into my mind, because he got a cocky smirk.

"I do taste good," he said, seemingly legitimately surprised. It wore off and the smirk was back. "I'm glad, because I don't have taste buds," he was still messing with me, but I started to feel like I needed to get moving.

I gently picked my head up from his lap, making him furrow his brow before he understood. I took the moment to get a good look at him. Even though he was sitting on the floor, I could tell he was tall. His hair was auburn-brown, and his eyes were a solid grey. Though most vampires had sharp features, his were surprisingly soft. I found myself staring at him; he was surprisingly handsome. I remembered what dad had told me before _they_ came. _'A werewolf only cares about their mate. They'll never fall for anyone else, no matter how hard another person tries. They need constant contact, the other mate will know it too. They don't have to be part of a pack, or even of the same species. As long as they're part human.' _ Were his words in a nutshell. There was more, but that was the main, most important part. Could Ricky be that?

He noticed me staring and raised an eyebrow, smirk getting bigger.

"Like what you see?" he teased. _Bite me _I snapped, sorta embarrassed.

"Not happening," he joked, when he realised what he said. I just growled at him with no real malice and proceeded to wander around the room, sniffing every now and again, making sure that I was safe. All my senses were better, particularly my nose, and I could smell Ricky not too far away. He smelled like he tasted: good.

I knew the change back would come soon, so I went over to where he was watching me intently, as though astounded by what he was seeing.

_What? _I questioned, curious as to what he had to say.

"No trips, no wobbles, nothing. When I first turned, I had all sorts of issues with adjusting. This is your first change, how did you know what to do?" he clearly didn't know anything about us.

_Instinct _I huffed, as though it was obvious. Then what he said hit me like a freight train.

_How did you know it was my first? _I asked suspiciously. How did he know that?

"You were terrified, clearly not used to what was happening to you," he said, not quite meeting my eye. He was lying, I could feel it coming off him in waves, but I didn't press.

_I'm going to change back soon. When I do, I'm going to need some clothes. _I warned him. A few seconds, it took, before the realisation dawned on him.

"When you change back, you'll be… naked?" he cautioned. I nodded as best I could. He stood up, got a blanket from the bed and draped it over me. My original clothes were in tattered shreds, so he then proceeded to the wardrobe. Inside were piles upon piles of clothing, all different sizes, with female as well as male designs. He picked out a shirt and pair of jeans that were my size and sat down next to me. _He wasn't leaving _was the message he was sending me, so I lay down and waited for the change to start itself.

It didn't take long, and when I started whining Ricky gently reached under a place a hand on my back. I appreciated it, and the change back was fast and slightly less painful. When I was done Ricky tried to remove his hand, but I kept pressed up against him, enjoying the contact between the two of us. He seemed to get the message, though, because he left it there until I was ready to get dressed and turned away.

"Thanks," I murmured, smiling slightly. I was still a little disorientated from the transformation, but felt better than I have in weeks. Not changing when you're supposed to is bad for you; it backs thing up in your body if it goes on too long. I had a feeling that all the supernatural energy and having Ricky here helped me.

"No problem," he said, flashing a dazzling vampire smile my way. Maybe staying here wouldn't be too bad after all.

**This one's longer than all my other chapters on other stories. I'm listening to new music and I don't have to worry about my stupid little sister interrupting me (grrrr…). Aaaaaaaanywaaay, what'd you think? Should I continue? Tell me in your reviews!**


	3. After the Change - Meeting Nosferatu

**Hello my people :) no, contrary to popular belief, I am not dead; I am not a zombie that has been raised by Chloe (darkest powers, ya know? I'll get to that in a sec). Now, I've done some thinking, and I've decided that I'm going to add this to the Darkest Powers Crossovers. How does that sound to you? I hope it sounds good, because nothing you say is gonna change it. If you don't know about Darkest Powers, go look it up on Wikipedia, kay? Good. You won't see the DP characters for a while. Ya know that list on kids the Edison Group have tampered with? If not, go find out; our lovely Charlie is on that list. You'll just have to wait and see, cause I've already said too much *looks around suspiciously*. I might put a little of Rickie's POV in at the end of this chapter… On with the story!**

_*PREVIOUSLY*_

_"Thanks," I murmured, smiling slightly. I was still a little disorientated from the transformation, but felt better than I have in weeks. Not changing when you're supposed to is bad for you; it backs thing up in your body if it goes on too long. I had a feeling that all the supernatural energy and having Ricky here helped me._

_"No problem," he said, flashing a dazzling vampire smile my way. Maybe staying here wouldn't be too bad after all._

_*NOW*_

As Rickie helped me up, I felt better than I have since I last spoke to pop. A smile broke out on my face, unbidden; if he could see me now… my first change in the company of our enemy race… wow, the magnitude of that is still getting into my head, trying to find a place where it won't be shunned for complete lunacy. And Rickie… why am I so close to a _vampire_, of all things, that I JUST met? Speaking of Rickie…

"Earth to Charlie!" he said, waving a hand in front of my face. I snapped at it, trying to bite it. With his vampire speed and reflexes, I ended up snapping at nothing.

"Glad to see you landed safely; what's it like on Mars?" he joked, causing me to smile.

I felt so much better now that my change was done. According to all the little book things hidden up in the attic, the first change is the most painful, since you aren't completely harmonised with your wolf. Once that done, though, wolf instincts become more prominent… oh… not good in a place full of vampires…

"Charlie! Wake up!" he said, slightly more desperate now, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"I'm awake, just thinking," I replied, hoping for him to stop worrying so much. No point; he's a worrier by nature, apparently… not good.

"Care to share your thoughts?" he asked, hopeful.

"Not a chance, Rickie," I told him, staying in the land of the living (it's an expression; inappropriate at this point in time, but whatever) this time.

"Ya know," he started ominously. This would not be good, I thought as I braced myself of the bad news. "Sooner or later I'm gonna have to take you to the boss… this room isn't soundproof, and every vampire in the coven heard you… umm…" he didn't know what else to say. I don't blame him; that's pretty much sentencing me to my death, and he was too nice. _And he's your mate _stated a voice in my head.

_Go away, you aren't helping_ I growled at her. She was my wolf, now synced to my consciousness. She's spoken up when I've needed her before, but she's never been so… forward… ah well. _I can't go away, dimwit, I'm in your head _she growled back. Ok, I should probably tell you now; we tend to have… slight issues with multiple personality disorder. An alter ego, if you will. Yes, after the change we're not so polar opposite, but she still doesn't have any… control that's necessary in public. Good for fighting, yes, but not so otherwise.

"Can you stop spacing out on me please? It's kinda creepy," said Rickie, making my wolf shut up and start drooling. Literally, I can see her in my head, just sitting there, drooling over him. Ewww… we might be mutts, but really? Just… ugh.

"Sorry, battling with my MPD," I told him. He looked confused.

"You have multiple personalities?" he asked

"When you have a wolf in your head that talks to you, tells you what to do, and takes control whenever she wants to if I'm not paying attention, yes, that's considered multiple personality disorder. Almost every person on the planet with the disease is either a were-something or a close descendent of one. History lesson over, she's currently dribbling over my mum's favourite dress," I said, and it was true. I'd conjured an image of my mother's favourite dress whilst she was drooling, and she'd spoiled it completely. Us one, mum zilch. Rickie made a disgusted face at that mental, and I laughed at him.

A knock at the door startled us, well, Rickie. I'd smelt the person already. It was brick-boy; I growled.

"What?" asked Rickie, slightly worried by my reaction. I growled again.

"Brick-boy, wondering if you survived the night," I told him. He seemed to note my strong distaste for Antonio. Good, no point in creating false impressions. The she-wolf in my head was already on high alert; she has a very good memory, even when blacked out.

_I don't trust this one_ she told me. I agreed with her. _Neither do I, wolf_ I told her, not maliciously. _Child, my name is Ethelwulf_ she told me gently. _Can I just call you Ethel?_ I asked her. The mental image of her nodded, giving a wolfy smile, before it returned to growling. As the door opened and, to protect my dignity, I stopped growling and reduced to giving him an amber glare. He shivered, strangely, as he looked into my eyes.

"You're alive," was the first thing brick-boy said to Rickie.

"No shit, Sherlock," I growled at him, not literally, but close enough. He glanced at me like I was a fly on the wall.

"Yes, I'm alive; she isn't a monster," said Rickie defiantly. Antonio looked at him sternly.

"You think that now; she is of the Sioux clan, a Tala," he said. How did he find out of my heritage? _Rickie, how does he know that?_ I asked, seeing if the beaming of messages still worked. He jumped slightly, eyes flickering briefly to me.

"What makes you say that?" pressed Rickie. Antonio thought he was making progress, so he shrugged in a dismissive fashion.

"I showed a picture of her to Nosferatu; he knew her dad. Apparently, she's a spitting image of him," he said smugly, holding up an image of my dead pop. He was right, though; I was exactly like my dad in every sense, except gender (duh).

"Why is that a bad thing?" asked Rickie innocently. I knew why; Sioux is the Native American settlement from before the white men, and a few variations of the language still exist. My pack is the base of all the tribes, and we still own the base language. We are the Tala, for our red hair. Tala translates to 'red wolf'.

There's another reason for it too. Tala has two translations; 'red wolf' is one of them. 'Stalking wolf' is the other. We're known worldwide for our deceptions and misguiding strategies. Sneak attacks are our specialties.

"Tala translate to 'stalking wolf', don't you think that's a little bit… perturbing? They're known for their sneakiness; for all you know, she's just using you to get out," he said, making it personal. _No one talks about us that way_ growled Ethel. My imaginary me agreed fully, nodding and baring slightly sharper than normal teeth.

"Shows how much you know," I growled, literally this time, at Antonio. He was an asshole, and I wouldn't stand for it. I knew I was stronger than him from when he whacked me with a brick, but he didn't seem to back down this time. He made eye contact with me and held it, signal for a challenge. A low growl reverberated thought my throat and chest **(for you dirty minded freaks, minds outta that gutter!)**. Brick-boy hissed menacingly, and that seemed to be the deciding factor for Rickie. He jumped in between us, hands on both of our shoulders.

"Cut that out," he said sternly. Antonio opened his mouth to protest, but Rickie silenced him with a look. "Now," he said, slowly, in a voice you couldn't say no to. One last growl left my throat before I backed down. _You can't keep this up, child _said Ethel. _My name is Charlie, Ethel _I corrected her. She nodded as best as she could, then laid down and started to sleep. The primal aggression towards Antonio disappeared, but I still had a strong distrust and hatred for him. Rickie looked torn, between best friend and new mate. _What!_ Internal me shouted, waking Ethel from her very brief nap. _You can't avoid that fact, Charlie; it will keep coming back to you. He knows, he just doesn't know what to do_ she said sleepily before curling up again. _Try to be a little quieter, I'm trying to sleep _she grumbled. I almost laughed. Almost.

**No Rickie POV, sorry; it will get in there somewhere, but not here. Because I made you wait so long, I'll make give you the next chapter right here **

**Enjoy**

This guy must be some sort of ancient vampire; he's the spitting image of your typical Dracula. Incredibly pale skin, long fangs, black hair, red eyes. He even wore a cloak! _This guy needs to catch up with the times_ muttered Ethel. _And what do you know about fashion?_ I asked her. I wasn't much better, being a tomboy. I'm a hypocrite, sue me. _Absolutely nothing; that means he DEFINITELY needs to catch up with the times _she said. She had a point. _You win, Ethel; I need to pay attention, this guy's gonna decide whether we live or die_ I pleaded her. She shut up, thankfully.

"Charlotte McKenzie, Tala of the Sioux clan," he started, eyes gleaming mischievously. I didn't like this guy. "I am Nosferatu, leader of this coven; what brings you to us?" the hard tint in his eye says that he has already heard brick-boy's side of the story; time to tell mine.

"I ran away from home because my mother fears me, sir," I began. He immediately looked intrigued.

"I've been exhibiting signs of my first change for months, and she was going to kick me out anyway, so I left. Same night, I ran into what I thought was a hobo," cue glare in Antonio's direction. Nosferatu obviously hadn't heard this, because his eyes flickered dangerously to brick-boy as well. "He offered me some silver spoons, and when I didn't answer he attempted to push one into my hand. I backed up, and he laughed at me," again, glare at brick-boy, whose eyes were widening. Guess he lied to the boss, I thought smugly,

"He threw off his stinky robes and stood taller. I ran, because my dad always told me to get out of the way of a vampire, and he chased. When he caught me, he couldn't hold me, so he hit me on the head with a brick. I woke up to him and Rickie arguing over whether or not it would have killed me to be hit that hard. Then I started changing and the brick-boy ran away, scared of me, and Rickie stayed. You heard my first complete change. That's why I'm kinda permanently borrowing some of your clothes," I finished, hoping he wouldn't murder me. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Who was this 'brick-boy'?" he asked, a slight hiss of animosity in his voice.

"It was Antonio," I said, glaring at said vampire who was standing to my right. He had… paled, if that was even physically possible.

"You told me you found her passed out on the sidewalk and smelled the wolf on her," he hissed angrily. Apparently, you don't wanna lie to this creepy old guy. Antonio opened his mouth like a cod fish. Closed it then opened it again.

"Go pack your belongings," he hissed, "you're a lone vampire now; no coven will take you," he glared at Antonio, those red eyes glittering with anger. And Antonio fled the room as quickly as he could.

… oh, I forgot to explain what happened, didn't I? oops. Anyway, after arguing with brick-boy for a bit, we arrived in the main hall. A huge bell rang, sound resonating through the whole place and making me collapse to the floor because of my sensitive hearing. Ouch. Rickie helped me to my feet when it finally stopped. Looking around, I noticed doors opening on all sides. The red room was filling with vampires. The giant hall was soon full of every leech in the coven. The very VERY large coven. Then, as one they silenced the chatting and parted, making way for aforementioned scary vampire, Nosferatu. Soon, he was seated on the throne, staring me down with an unreadable expression. Then something flashed in his eyes. It was so quick I almost missed it, but it looked like… affection… that got me thinking, and Ethel prowling. _This guy needs to get with the times_ she'd grumbled, and you know the rest from there.

"I apologise that you were treated so roughly, Charlotte; I wish to introduce myself as you know me," he said. Wha? _Yo, Ethel _I drew her to the front of my mind. She took a look around. _What is it, Charlie? _She asked. _Does this man smell familiar to you?_ I gave her control of my nose. Subtly, I drew in a breath, watching the amusement play through Nosferatu's eyes. _He smells like one of your father's friends; he used to come over every Saturday and have a barbecue with us_ she said after a while. I nodded, seemingly to myself.

"Nigel Smith," I said out loud. He laughed a laugh that I'd never forgotten.

"You've got a good nose, Charlotte," he said, smiling; he had smile wrinkles in the corners of his eyes.

"I thought you were one of pop's wolf friends?" I said, confused. He'd always smelt like a wolf, even though it was strange… a wolf not quite right. Pop had always said to just ignore it whenever I asked.

"I spent time with the pack; why do you think there isn't a war?" he asked, smile dropping at the murmurs from the crowds behind me.

"Crackpot old fool," someone muttered.

"So that's where he spent all those days…" said someone else under their breath.

"Enough!" boomed Nosferatu, angry again. "Her dad spent time here too you know; Alec Kensington. Remember? He was your friend," now the murmurs had ceased. There had were among them and they hadn't known? Maybe the wolves weren't as bad as they were rumoured to be.

"There was a reason I spent time with your family specifically though, Charlotte," he said quietly. Every head in the room flicked to me, and mine snapped to him. He beckoned me forward, standing and walking around and behind his giant chair. I followed slowly, hurrying when he called out 'hurry up, Charlotte!"

"It's Charlie," I grumbled as I followed a little faster.

**This 'chapter' (the one that's a treat for your patience) is very short, just so that you have a cliffie. Don't worry, I won't leave this one as long; I'll probably update it within a week. Now, that little review button is lonely; can you be her friend? Thanks!**

**shovelgirlERB000 (I was ERB000, but there's a new joke goin' around my school, so now I'm shovelgirl)**


	4. The Edison Group

**Hello; see, I kept my promise! I'll just cut to the chase and get on with it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Darkest Powers, that belongs to Kelley Armstrong. Please don't sue me!**

The office was like a mini-me of the main hall. Red walls draped in fine silk made me feel boxed in, claustrophobic.

"Charlotte," he began. I cut him off quickly.

"It's Charlie, sir," I corrected him. He smiled.

"Ok, Charlie; and its Nigel," I nodded.

"Now, have you ever heard of the Edison Group?" he asked seriously. I was about to shake my head, when a memory I had buried wormed its way to the surface and replayed in my mind…

**_*flashback*_**

_"We need to leave; the Edison group have found you and they're on the move," whispered Nigel._

_"I can't uproot my family, not again," pleaded my dad. His voice sounded desperate._

_"It's either that, or no family at all," reasoned our family friend. I couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about._

_"I don't understand their focus on my family," my dad whispered helplessly. It made me so sad._

_"Alex, your daughter was a part of the Genesis II project; when you broke her out, you released a science experiment that they had worked on for upwards of fifty years. They want her back," said Nigel, sounding professional. I was an experiment? That didn't fit; I was a normal wolf. __A wolf that never should have existed__ said a little voice in the back of my mind. I started, nearly alerting daddy and Nigel to my presence. __Run, child; go hide in the bathroom. You know the place__ whispered the voice in my head. I ran, hiding in my special spot where no-one ever looked._

**_*end flashback*_**

That was the day my dad died… Ethelwulf had saved my life…

"Charlie?" asked Nigel, hesitant.

"Yes, I've heard of them," I told him. His expression showed nothing, but his eyes flashed with surprise.

"How?" he asked, suddenly suspicious. His eyes glinted slightly, and my nose picked up on the fear that I had already been involved with them. I debated telling him the truth, and decided that it might be the best.

"I eavesdropped on you and dad the day they… and I heard what you were saying. Who are they? How am I an experiment?" it all came out at once. I promptly slapped my hands over my mouth. I told you my big mouth would get me into trouble. Nigel looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You remember that?" he asked, surprised. I nodded. Wolves have good memories.

"Remind me to never underestimate you," he said, seemingly to himself. I nodded again.

"The Edison group are an agency of scientist originally formed by the American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison," he explained. "They take young, sometimes even unborn, supernaturals and perform genetic experiments to either dampen or increase the child's power." He paused, letting me take it in. I nodded absentmindedly. _What does this have to do with me?_ I asked Ethel. _Just listen to Nosferatu, Charlie_ she told me. My attention focused back to the pale man in front of me.

"There were five werewolves involved in the project; four males and a female. All but one of the boys was put down, the other was rescued by a fellow scientist. You were rescued by your biological father. You were so special because the chances of a young werewolf being born from a human-wolf relationship is only 5%, you were a rare find as it is. Not only that, but when it turned out that you were a girl, the odds of that skyrocketed," he said. I cocked my head to the side, like a dog when it doesn't understand.

"I don't understand," I told him. He sighed almost inaudibly.

"The possibility of a female wolf in a human-wolf relationship is 0.35% of the 5%, making you an incredibly rare find," _great_, I thought,_ I'm a rare find. Whoopdidoo_ _for me_

"Not only that," he started again. _Oh great, what now_ I wondered to myself. _Listen, Charlie; this is important_ said Ethel. I listened.

"But your mum was given a course of injections during her gestation period that increased your genes. She's not a wolf, not even close," he said at my look of horror, "but because everything that entered her body whilst you were an embryo in the womb, was incorporated into you. You've completed the change, yes?" he asked. I nodded, still silent. My foot was staying on the ground, thankfully, and I wasn't saying anything I would regret. That's definitely a first.

"Most wolves don't until they're eighteen. Minimum. You're different; more than you know," he ended on a mystical note.

More than I know? What does that mean? _You'll find out when you need it, child_ said Ethel. _My name's Charlie, ya know_ I grumbled. _You know, don't you? _I asked suspiciously. The red wolf just smiled a mysterious smile and went to sleep.

The months passed quickly, boringly, and I got to know Rickie better. Apparently, he was changed when he was sixteen; a rogue vampire raided his town and bit him. Then he found his way to Nigel and learnt everything he needed to. Thankfully, I didn't have any more untimely changes. Everything was going smoothly. And then Nigel dropped the second biggest bomb in my life (second only to our first conversation).

"Remember that werewolf that was saved from the Edison group by a scientist?" he had asked me one afternoon.

"Not in person, but I remember you telling me about him," I said. I didn't enjoy being pulled outta my thoughts like that.

"Well, they have formed a small group of supernaturals that are fighting the Edison Group. I've arranged for them to come and pick you and one other person up. The other person is of your choosing, but they must agree. Understood?" he had left without giving me a chance to answer. I knew who I wanted to go with me, but whether they agreed was yet to be seen.

"Err…. Rickie…" I started awkwardly.

"hhhuhhhh, spit it out," he sighed; he knew when I wanted to say something. I shook it off and started again.

"I'm leaving," I said, taking in his broken, horrified look. I sped through my pre-prepared speech.

"Nigel's arranged for one of my old packmates from Edison and his misfit pack to come pick me up and take me with them, wherever they're going. He said I'm allowed to bring one person, as long as I have their permission," I said quickly. His face lifted at the last part.

"Can I come?" he asked tentatively. A smile lit my face.

"Well duh, genius, that's why I'm saying all this in the first place!" we laughed off the horror we'd been feeling. It was the most fun we'd have in a while.

**… And how was it? Did you like it? Let me know in the reviews please!**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT :)**


	5. Leaving

**Next chapter; as you can see, I'm trying to make up for my absence. How am I doing? I need to know! Anywho, please use that little review button at the bottom of the page; she is your friend. She doesn't bite J (at least not as hard as I do*smiles kinda creepily* jk; I don't bite unless I have a good reason)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the DP characters, as much as I want to, even if they're a bit ooc. They belong to Kelley Armstrong; please don't sue me for borrowing them!**

"Charlie!" called Nigel from somewhere to the left. His voice was faint, even to my ears; there was no way Rickie had heard him.

"Let's go, they're here," I told him. He looked at me as though I was loony. I sighed in an exasperated manner; you'd think after living with me for four months he'd know that I've got superhuman senses. Apparently not, though.

"Werewolf, right here!" I reminded him. He looked down sheepishly. He mumbled 'sorry' and picked up his suitcase. We'd packed our stuff and were ready to go.

As we walked down the hall, I heard a ruckus. Not normal; this place is normally quieter than a grave (again, just an expression; badly timed, but whatever). There was arguing, between a boy and a girl by the sound of it, and at least two other people breathing. A man was talking to Nigel. Stopping to take a deep breath, I pulled the door open and walked into a room full of people.

In the corner was a tall, bitchy looking girl with black hair and, even though I couldn't give a damn, a good sense of fashion. She was arguing with an obviously Korean boy with natural blonde hair. They both smelled of Spellcasters. Whispering quietly in the corner were two surprisingly similar women; an older lady and a young girl, who looked no more than twelve but smelt to be about fifteen. The lady reeked of human, a scent that hasn't been around me in since I left my mum, and the young girl smelt of Necromancer. And wolf. Something in the wolf scent screamed that she was already claimed; a wolf's mate, not an actual wolf.

Standing in the same place as I had been when I'd first been told of the Edison Group, speaking with Nigel just as I had, was a tall Asian man, the blonde boy's father I think, who also smelled of strongly of Spellcaster. They were arguing over whether Rickie and I would be safe. _Hey, we can take care of ourselves, Nigel_ I silently berated him. _I know, but we never know what might happen_ came Rickie's voice, causing me to nearly jump. I glared at him, and he shrugged. We'd figured out that the telepathy thing was only between us; which confirmed my suspicions from the first night.

But there was no wolf in sight. I drew in a long, subtle breath through my nose, opening my mouth slightly so that I could take in more of the scents around me. _There_ I found it. It was drifting from a corner away from everyone else, but close to the Necromancer and the human. I shifted my gaze, and found my amber eyes held by a vivid, forest green. A distant memory resurfaced, of four young boys, three with green eyes, one with bright green. The others shunned the green-eyed one, so he learnt to read and entertain himself on his own. Then my dad came and took me away, and I never saw my pack again.

The spark of recognition fired through my mind again. _Derek_ whispered Ethel quietly.

"Derek," I repeated, noticing the slight tilt of his head as he caught his name.

"Charlotte," he whispered in return. He remembered. Rickie cocked his head, eyes flickering between the two of us, confused. He clearly hadn't been told about the pack-bonds that last for a lifetime. I smiled slightly.

"It's Charlie," I whispered. Rickie looked at me strangely.

"Are you talking to Ethel?" he asked, confusion clear. A snort from the corner, quiet and quickly smothered, told me that Derek found Rickie's naivety incredibly amusing.

"No, I'm talking to him," I told him, gesturing to Derek across the room. Rickie's vampire eyes pierced the gloom easily, but he still didn't catch on.

"How can he hear you?" he asked. I sighed, again, at how clueless he could be.

"Same way I can hear him," I told him. Finally the little lamp lit in his head.

"ohhh…" he said.

"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered sarcastically.

"Dad," Derek called out to the male Spellcaster arguing with Nigel, who looked up from the debate.

"What, Derek?" he asked, still a little… tense from arguing with Nigel. The vampire lord could be awfully hard-headed. I am too; sue me for being hypocritical.

"They arrived like ten minutes ago," he said boredly, as though he'd rather be outside. I had to agree; living here for four months, I only spent my sleeping and eating hours in here.

The male Spellcaster looked rather embarrassed. Probably because he had been losing. He looked over at us, smiling warmly.

"Welcome to our mismatched family," he greeted. I rolled my eyes. _Pack, not family; there're wolves here_ I corrected in my head.

"We'll be leaving now, Nosferatu," said the blonde human from the corner stiffly. She didn't like it here; vampires and wolves made her nervous. I smirked; she was gonna have a lot of issues with this pack if she didn't get used to it.

"Thank-you for carrying her bags, young man; you may leave now," she said to Rickie. At this point I burst out laughing. Really? I mean, really? I'm a wolf; we don't need someone to carry our stuff for us! When my fit was over, I had to wipe a tear from my eye.

"Rickie's not carrying my bags for me; he's coming with us!" I said, falling into another fit of giggles. Soon, Rickie joined in, and then the blonde Spellcaster boy and the black-haired Spellcaster girl. The Necromancer girl looked torn between laughter and concern for the woman's ego. A faint pink blush spread over her face.

"Kit, I though two dangerous supernaturals was already more than enough, and now you want to add a third?" she said quietly, addressing the tall Asian who had been arguing with Nigel.

"I can assure you," said Nigel coldly, "that neither of these children are dangerous; the worst that could happen is Charlie losing her incredibly short temper," he stated.

"Hey!" I protested. He smiled at me mischievously.

"Well, it's true; you're almost as hard-headed as I am, and a ginger," he said teasingly.

"And what, may I ask, do you have against gingers?" I asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Good, that's what I thought," I said, smirking smugly.

"As entertaining as this is," said the dark-haired Spellcaster girl, an annoyed tone creeping into her voice. "I'd like to leave before EG get a trace on us. We can do intros back at the safehouse," she said, impatient to get going.

"Alright," I said, not nastily or anything. "just give us a sec; Rickie's been here for years and Nigel's been a sort of stand in dad for me when… never mind…" I said, deciding at the last moment to not tell them. Derek raised an eyebrow, which I just shrugged at and turned to Nigel.

"Thanks, Nigel… for… everything, I guess," I said quietly; only Nigel, Rickie and Derek heard. He nodded, smiling a small but warm, genuine smile. Rickie didn't say anything, just shook his hand a looked into his eyes, giving another small genuine smile. Then, without really thinking about it, I launched myself forward and latching onto Nigel. Tears started forming in my eyes.

"Goodbye, Nigel," I said, so that not even Derek's ears would hear. He hugged me back, like he was giving up his own daughter.

"I'll see you again eventually, Charlie," he promised me, pulling away and smiling that dazzling smile that had his eyes sparkling and his laugh lines showing deeply. I smiled at him before letting go.

"Ready to go?" asked the tall Asian Spellcaster, who had been addressed as Kit. I nodded, and Rickie answered aloud for both of us. Off we went. I turned around and watched the one place I'd felt truly at home disappear into the distance.

**Whaddaya think of this one? Review please!**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


	6. Introductions and the First Night

**Hey everyone; next chappie is here! Sorry if it starts to sound crappy; this is generally where my stories start to go downhill. Now, onto more pressing matters.**

**If my flamer comes here as well (I do believe they know who they are), I have one thing to say to you; get a life.**

**In case you're wondering, aforementioned flamer insulted me, my opinions and my religion. In three sentences. Even said he was happy he found someone to flame. They also used a sufficient amount of swear words to piss me off (and, seeing as I swear, that is very difficult to do). I can't PM them because they reviewed anonymously. All I can say is that I'm not happy with them. Now, onto the actual story:**

**I can't remember how old any of them other than Chloe are; I guess this is set after the Reckoning… but they're the same age as in the first book (or I'm intending them to be). That ok with you? Good.**

**Key:**

_Ethelwulf or Rickie; they will never talk at the same time so it shouldn't be a bother. Kay? Kay :)_

_Seth_

**_Charlie_**

**_Derek_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers, rather unfortunately, and therefore do not wished to be sued for the borrowing of Kelley Armstorngs characters. **

**(you'll understand the key in a bit; now, READ)**

As we drove, Rickie and I sat in silence. The two Spellcaster children were STILL arguing, apparently over who got to talk to 'the new girl', who I assumed was me, first. The little Necromancer girl and Derek were whispering too quietly for me to hear in the backseat, and the human woman and the adult Spellcaster 'Kit' were discussing something, again too quietly for my ears to hear. Everyone was ignoring us; fine by me.

We arrived at tall, old house (with at least four stories on it; this place was huge) after driving for nearly an hour. My claustrophobia was getting to me and my legs were cramping up. I was first out of the car, breathing in the fresh air and stretching my legs trying to rid them of the pins and needles running through them. Derek was close behind, followed by Rickie and the Necromancer girl. The human and the 'Kit' were still talking lowly and the Spellcaster boy and girl were still arguing, getting increasingly louder.

Stretching my arms up above my head, I popped my shoulders.

"It's good to see you again, Charlie," said a deep voice from behind me. I jumped slightly and turned around mid-stretch and came face to face with a smirking Derek.

"You too," I said, smiling. Being around another wolf made me feel at ease in a way that I had forgotten about a long time ago.

"Let's get inside before we draw attention to ourselves!" shouted 'Kit'. I scowled, growling a little under my breath; out in the open air for all of three minutes, that was NOT going to leave me in a good mood. Derek chuckled quietly at my reaction. Light footsteps came up behind Derek, and the little blonde Necromancer stepped up beside him.

"Wow, I think you have some competition, Derek," she said, giggling slightly. Derek, in turn, scowled as well. The little blonde girl giggled harder at our matching expressions.

"We've never had a vampire before," she said. This caused my scowl to deepen.

"Just because I came from the coven doesn't mean I'm a vampire," I told her. She blushed and looked down, a smell of embarrassment coming of her. Derek bristled at my tone and the Necromancer girl's reaction. _Calm him down, Ethel_ I told her, _I don't wanna die just yet_. I felt the message go across.

_Charlie means no ill will, Seth; cool it_ she scolded. So his wolf had a name as well… at least I'm not different in that aspect.

_Why should I; she insulted my mate_ he shot back. Derek looked oblivious; couldn't he hear this?

_She means no ill will, Seth; you're touchy after being stuck in a car for an hour, so are we. We aren't as used to it as you are; calm down_ Ethel enforced. I felt Derek's wolf back down a bit.

_Fine, Ethelwulf, you win; just warn her not to do it again_ he said in defeat. Derek visibly relaxed.

_She can here you, Seth; we've changed already_ she said.

**_Hello?_**I willed across to Seth, testing. Derek jumped; he must've heard me.

**_Yes?_**

_Huh… aren't you only fourteen? _Came the two voices at once.

**_Yes, I am_**I answered Seth. Derek looked at me in confusion, and the Necromancer girl was looking between us like we were mad. Neither could figure out what was going on.

**_Who're you talking to? Why can I hear you in my head?_** Asked Derek in confusion.

**_I'm talking to your wolf; why do you think you've calmed down?_** I said in response. He looked at me like I was a loony.

"Derek, Chloe, NOW!" shouted 'Kit' from the door to the 'safehouse'. A cold hand touched my shoulder and I jumped. I spun round and came face to face with Rickie. I'd forgotten he was there; vampires move too quietly.

"You move too quietly," I grumbled, and he smirked. He heard me. Picking up our stuff, we followed Derek and the Necromancer girl, 'Chloe', into the safehouse.

"'bout time…" muttered the female Spellcaster. I gave her a glare, to let her know that I had heard her. She levelled my gaze, like she didn't care, small zaps of electric energy dancing between her fingers so subtly that if I didn't have my wolf sight I wouldn't have noticed.

"You don't want to do that, Spellcaster," I warned her, growling at the possible threat. Her eyes widened marginally at my observations; apparently, the only ones here who knew what I was were the adults and Derek. Great. Thanks Nigel. Really helpful.

"Anyway," 'Kit' broke the silence with, "how 'bout we get on with introductions?" he suggested, although the subtle undertone in his voice said that no one was going to refuse. Nods all 'round before everyone started to formally introduce themselves.

"Hi, I'm Kit Bae. Sorcerer, lawyer and only connection to the supernatural world for our group. I'm also the leader of this mismatched family," he began. My nose was right, as usual. We went around in a circle. After Kit came the blonde lady.

"I'm Lauren Saunders, Chloe's aunt, a human and a doctor; I take care of all medical issues. I'm second in charge, so you do as Kit and I say," She said sternly; she certainly talked like a doctor. I wasn't going to let her anywhere near me if I was injured; she doesn't like wolves. You can tell by the disdain in her eyes as she looks over me or Derek. Next up; bitchy Spellcaster girl who really pisses me off.

"I'm Tory, and I'm sixteen. Kit's my dad, Simon's my actual brother, unfortunately, and Derek's my adoptive brother," said the dark-haired Spellcaster girl, "I'm a powerful hybrid; witch mamma and sorcerer daddy. If you cross me I'll take your eyes out; got it?" she threatened. Rickie seemed scared, but I was indifferent. If she attacked me, she'd have multiple people after her. Particularly Nigel; you don't wanna get on Nigel's bad side. Next was the male Spellcaster, who I assumed was 'Simon'.

"I'm Simon, I'm sixteen and a pathetic sorcerer. I'm only useful if you want cool movie effects. Unfortunately, I'm Tori's older brother," he said, smiling at me and winking. I smelt his infatuation. Stupid sorcerer. Rickie tensed beside me; I understood. I'd confirmed my suspicions from my first change in the four months I'd been a part of the coven. He was my mate. Only problem was, I didn't know what the hell to do about it.

**_Cool it, Rickie_**I told him. **_He's just some guy who thinks he can get anyone he wants by winking._** Rickie nodded beside me, relaxing back to his normal semi-slouch.

"Derek, sixteen; wolf," said my packmate simply. I nodded, earning a small smile of recognition from him. The Necromancer frowned a little at the attention I received.

"Hi," she said, still bubbly, though. "I'm Chloe Saunders, I'm fifteen and I'm a scary strong Necromancer," she said. She smelled it, too. It scared me a little, the fact that she smelt so strongly of the dead, yet she was still living. I shuddered slightly, causing Rickie to lean ever so slightly into me and Derek to raise an eyebrow.

**_Later_**I told both of them. My turn.

"Charlotte McKenzie, at your service," I said, somewhat sarcastically. I earned a smile from Simon, a shadow of a smirk from Derek and a smile from Rickie.

"Unless you call me Charlie, however, I will maul you; regardless of the rules," I warned, eyes narrowing at Tori across the room.

"I'm fourteen and a wolf," I said.

"I'm not the youngest anymore!" exclaimed Chloe happily. I glared at her and she sat down, blushing again. A growl in my head told me that Seth was not happy.

**_Suck it up, Seth; I'm not hurting her_**I snapped. Derek jumped, glaring at me. He also looked curious at the same time. I looked pointedly at Rickie, and he saved me by introducing himself.

"I'm Ricardo, but unless you call me Rickie I will get Charlie to maul you for me. I'm a vampire and I'm physically sixteen. That's all you're getting from me," he said. Even I didn't know how old he was. Whenever someone asked how old he was, he'd always say sixteen. Stupid vampire pride.

"Now that we all know each other, let's set up the sleeping arrangements," said Kit enthusiastically. Apparently, no one had been in this safehouse yet. Great.

"We'll be arranging the rooms a little differently this time, since the house is so much bigger and has so many more floors," said Lauren. I had a feeling she had a lot to do with this.

"Yes, Lauren's right; this time we'll have each type of supernatural on a different floor, and you can sleep in any room you like as long as it's on your floor. You can do whatever you want as long as it won't disturb any other floors. Simon, Tori and I have fourth floor so that Tori and Simon can argue without disturbing too many neighbours. Chloe and Lauren have third because there are the least bedrooms there. Derek, Charlie and Rickie have second because it's closest to the kitchen," a round of giggles followed this statement, none from Derek or I, even though Rickie found it funny. What? Kitchen raids are a nightly thing for most wolves!

"Any questions?" asked Kit. A resounding, silent no. "Good; now go unpack. Dinner's in three hours."

Everyone went in a mad dash to the stairs, carrying their suitcases. At the first floor, we split off from everyone else and headed down the hall to stand in front of five sets of doors.

_Finally, we can sleep in a puppy pile_ said Ethel; she'd been complaining since my first change.

**_I have to ask first_** I told her.

_Then ask, Charlie_ she said.

"Derek, do ya wanna sleep in a puppy pile?" I asked, my slight Texan accent from really early in my childhood peeking through due to the slight nervousness I felt. He looked genuinely thoughtful.

_Seth is talking to him; he's trying to persuade him to say yes,_ said Ethel.

"Ok," he said simply after a while, with a small smile.

"Do you wanna join, Rickie?" I asked him hopefully, taking in the sour, sad look on his face. A scent of jealously drifted my way. He smiled at me when I offered, although I don't think it was intentional.

"I won't join your 'puppy pile'," he said, mocking the term. I gently swatted him upside the head.

"But I'll take a bed into the room and sleep on that. That ok?" he asked, suddenly hesitant. I beamed at him.

"You betcha, _Ricardo_," I mocked him in return. He scowled at me, and I raised my hands in surrender as I danced out of the way of his hand coming to hit _me_ on the head.

"I'll even help you move the bed," I offered. He shrugged.

Soon, all three of us were moving one bed frame and the spare mattress into the room. Rickie's bed was put next to the wall, and the spare mattress, along with Derek's, were moved onto the floor next to it. After that we unpacked our clothes, toiletries etc. and put them into their respective places (clothes in drawers, toiletries in adjoining en suite) and moved some furniture. When the room suited all of our tastes (Rickie's want of familiarity, Derek's perfectionism and my love of symmetrical things) we sat and just talked.

Apparently, Derek and the rest of his pack (excluding the adults) had been locked up in a group home known as Lyle house, named after Samuel Lyle, famous genetic experimentalist and, apparently, an insane sorcerer. They escaped, were captured, escaped again, were captured again, killed some people, were eventually reunited with their respective parental figures and have run around for a few years trying to find people to help them take down the Edison Group.

"So…" said Rickie, suddenly awkward. There's was a tense silence, broken by Kit shouting from somewhere below us 'Dinner!' My stomach suddenly realised how long it was since I'd eaten (about five hours) **(A/N: even I can't go that long without food!)** and staged protest.

I was out of the room and down the stairs faster than Derek. By the time everyone else was walking in the door, I had two plates of food piled as high as they could go and was shovelling food as fast as I could. Derek quickly joined me, an equal amount of food on his two plates, smirking. There wasn't enough left to feed everyone, so Lauren and Kit had to cook more. Rickie just sat at the table, not really sure what to do since he couldn't eat anything. Swallowing, I gave him a suggestion.

"Go hunt; you don't have to sit here and be awkward. Just be back in a few hours," I told him, picking him up and dragging him outside. He smiled thankfully, speeding off in a blur. I hurried inside and finished my meal.

"Desert, anyone?" asked Kit, who was clearly stuffed to the brim with dinner and couldn't fit it in even if he'd wanted to. I nodded enthusiastically, still hungry after my piles of food. Half the group looked at me like I'd grown three heads. I cleared my throat dramatically.

"Growing werewolf, right here," I said, pointing at myself. They all looked away, Chloe blushing because she had been caught staring. A large slice of apple pie was placed in front of me, and was eaten very quickly. I could've eaten more, but decided to save that for my midnight snack.

"Thanks, Kit," I said, smiling. "Thanks, Lauren!" Chloe was still eating, so I waited to leave the table.

As soon as Chloe was done, I was upstairs and getting ready for a shower. I grabbed my clothes, an amber coloured towel (we'd arranged them by colour of eyes; Derek had green, Rickie had grey and I had amber) and slipped into the bathroom. The warm water felt sooooo good as it cascaded down my body.

"Aaaaahhhhhh," I sighed, scratching behind my ears and all over my head as I shampooed my hair. I did this like once a month, so I made the most of the scratching. It felt so good. Washing out the suds, I ended my shower and got ready for bed. I cleaned my teeth, the minty toothpaste burning my eyes with its overbearing smell, and brushed my hair. My PJ's were a grey t-shirt and three-quarter pants made out of soft material that had a silhouette of a wolf howling printed on the bottom of the leg. Thanks, Nigel. I packed up my stuff and stepped out of the steamy bathroom. Rickie was waiting.

Being a vampire, he didn't really need to shower. He didn't sweat, didn't really smell (except for that trace scent that all vampires had) and never had a problem with greasy hair. But he still showered anyway. Said it reminded him of his human life. He picked up his towel and went into the bathroom, coming out in ten minutes ready for bed as well. Derek was still downstairs; I could hear him talking to Chloe about something. I couldn't hear what. Eventually, there was a strange little sound that could be identified as a goodnight kiss and two sets of footsteps padded up the stairs. The louder set continued up the second set, whilst the almost inaudible ones came closer, and into the room walked Derek. Finally. Grabbing his stuff, he also completed his nightly ritual. We were all ready for bed and it was only eight thirty. What to do?...

"What'd you do on your hunt, Rickie?" asked Derek, curious. I blanched; I'd seen what a vampire does on a hunt. Not pleasant. Even though Rickie was a 'vegetarian', as such, it was still incredibly disturbing to watch. I shuddered.

"Trust me, Derek, you do NOT want to know," I told him, trying to keep down my rather delicious dinner. It worked, thankfully. Soon, I was back to normal.

"Why not?" he asked eventually. Of course; I remembered now. Derek HAS to know everything.

"Because, when you're not a vampire, it's rather disgusting to watch. Even if said vampire is a 'vegetarian' and only feeds on animals," I told him.

**_No offense, Rickie_** I added as a, literal, afterthought.

_None taken_ he said back. Good; he should know that I find it rather… off-putting.

A knock on the door interrupted our silence. Kit poked his head around, eyebrows flying up at the sleeping arrangements.

"What's going on here?" he asked sceptically.

"The wolves are making up for all the years they spent alone and sleeping in a puppy pile," said Rickie, still mocking the term. I scowled at him.

"I'm just crashing the party," he continued, smirking. Kit looked doubtful.

"And the point of a puppy pile is… what, exactly?" he asked.

"Comfort, mostly," I said, rather snappishly.

"Knowing that there's a packmate there helps wolves sleep," said Derek, "why do you think I've always had trouble sleeping?" he continued. It was a rather brilliant plan, I must admit. Using evidence that Kit _knows _is true to prove a point.

"I suppose…" he said after a long while. "No shenanigans, though," he said. I blushed a little, and Derek scowled at him.

"Goodnight, it's bed time," said Kit after a long while, shutting the door and moving up the stairs, his footsteps receding.

As soon as I could no longer hear him, I tackled Rickie and slapped his arm.

"Hey!" he yelped quietly as Derek smothered his laughter. I slapped his arm again.

"That's for being an asshole; got it?" I said, a non-menacing growl entering my tone. He could at least tell when I was messing with him, and he smirked.

"Ok, I won't do it again," he surrendered. "Get off!" I rolled of his stomach, which I had been straddling to pin him, and back onto the mattresses on the floor, curling up next to Derek. I instantly felt safe and sleepy, and slipped into the abyss of dreams after minutes of relaxed silence.

I woke up at around three in the morning, hungry. Derek was already missing, and quiet munching sounds could be heard from down below. Getting out of bed, I quietly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Derek was standing with a bag of extra-cheesy CCs (nacho chips, for you deprived people), munching away, his back to me. I walked up quietly behind him and took a chip out of the bag. He jumped, looking around; he obviously hadn't heard me come in.

"Don't sneak up on me," he whispered, scowling.

"Sorry for being just as quiet as you are," I shot back, glaring. We just stood like that for a second, until he held the bag out for me.

"CC?" he asked. I smirked, grabbing a handful of the tasty chips and stuffing them into my mouth. He laughed quietly at that. Finishing off the bag of CCs, we snuck back upstairs and fell back to sleep. It was the best I'd slept since my dad died all those years ago…

**Wow, long chapter… well, how was it? Please let me know; it took ages to write. I know the DP characters are a bit OOC, but I can't help that. I notice that I'm not getting many reviews on this… JuliaPossum, I've checked out your stories and left some reviews for you; thanks for your continued support :)**

**Thanks to everyone else; PLEASE review! I need to know if I'm any good or if people are hating on me and my writing style… Thanks in advance to any reviewers, and thanks anyway to all readers.**

**Till next chapter…**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


	7. The Second Change

**Hello again :) Long-time no update (intense sarcasm; it's been, what? Twelve hours?)**. **Wolves don't have to change very often; as long as they don't stay human indefinitely, they can change as they like. However, they have no control over it for the first couple of years. I'm pretty sure you've figured out what happens in this chapter by now. Oh, and even though this is after The Reckoning, Derek hasn't completed the change yet; he's getting halfway and then going back, so pretend like he's never done it before. If you haven't guessed what's going on by now, you'll just have to wait and see, now won't you? Have fun :)**

**Anyway, I don't have anything else to blurb about this time, so let's get on with things, shall we?**

**Key:**

_Ethelwulf or Rickie; they will never talk at the same time so it shouldn't be a bother. Kay? Kay :)_

_Seth_

**_Charlie_**

**_Derek_**

**Disclaimer: As sad as it is, I don't own the Darkest Powers series and am just borrowing the characters. Don't sue me!**

**On with it:**

"Maple syrup!" shouted a female voice, piercing the lovely bliss of sleep. I slammed a pillow over my head, trying to block the noise.

"Honey is better!" shouted a male voice. Wha? Honey and maple syrup are the same thing. Technically. Syrup's just thicker.

"No way! Maple syrup!" a loud bang was heard. Groaning, I got up. I immediately sat back down, a dizzy spell hitting me hard. Checking my temperature, I noted a fever. Perfect. Second change. I had no idea when it would come; I just knew it would be soon and that it would come at night, as per usual. I fell back onto the mattress, and soon fell back to sleep.

"Charlie, wake up!" someone was shaking me with cold hands. It felt nice against my fever. I groaned and rolled over.

"Go away, Rickie; I'm sick," I told him. He kept shaking, more insistent now.

"Ugh," I groaned, sitting up and stretching my arms above my head, hearing my shoulders pop. My left arm twitched, and I winced, scratching at it.

"You really are sick," said Rickie, somewhat surprised. I shook my head, growling a little.

"We aren't invincible, ya know; that's vampires," I said, half making a joke at the end. He smiled a little.

"Thought you might want some breakfast," he held up a large plate of pancakes. My stomach growled, but I knew it was a bad idea; I'd seen pop change. Throwing up = not fun.

"Bad idea," I said, my stomach groaning in protest, "I'll just throw it up later."

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

I must've slept through the day, cause when I woke up I was burning up and itching like crazy. Derek was asleep next to me, and Rickie was on the bed, snoring away like there was nothing wrong. A muscle in my arm spasmed and I decided now might be a good time to get outside. Thankfully, the house was right near a forest. As I opened the door, a low voice slightly guttural from sleep spoke up.

"Where are you goin?" it asked. I spun around, finding Derek sitting up rubbing one eye with his fist.

"Changing; right now," I panted, trying to cool myself down slightly. His eyes widened as he took in my appearance. Sweating, eyes glowing, arm twitching. Then he got up.

"Where are YOU going?" I asked him. He grunted.

"Helping you," he said simply. Rickie turned over in his sleep. I sighed heavily.

"Get Rickie too, and let's hustle. The Change waits for no wolf!" I ordered, my arm spasming worse now. When Derek finally woke the vampire up, I was about ready to shout. I scratched my arm furiously.

Rickie looked confused; he looked at Derek, who was glaring at him to try and get him to hurry it up, then at me. He didn't seem to be able to compute what he was seeing.

"Change… now… hurry up!" I growled; this had been stalled for far too long. My vocal chords were already changing. I ended up running ahead, stripping of my PJ's and crouching in a small clearing that my feet had led me to. Derek and Rickie soon found me, and Rickie took the same place as last time, hand on my back, murmuring reassuring words. Derek looked on in slight confusion; now that we were outside, it seemed to sink in that I was Changing. At fourteen.

A howl ripped out of my throat, and my bones started snapping and realigning. As with last time, it was incredibly painful. Not as bad, but still painful. I emptied the contents of my stomach into the bushes multiple times. Bleagh.

_We're nearly there, Charlie_ came Ethel's voice, stronger in my mind because of the current… situation. One last wave of pain and I was finished. I lay, panting, with my head in Rickie's lap. Derek looked fascinated.

**_Take a picture,_**I snapped at him, **_it'll last longer_**. As usual, he jumped, scowling. I wasn't in the best of moods.

**_You're fourteen; how is this possible?_** He mused.

**_Ask Kit; he was a scientist with the Edison Group, he might know_** I said. I didn't feel so hostile now. In my mind, a large black wolf with vivid green eyes growled.

**_Cool it Seth, it's the truth_** I snapped. Derek jumped again, growling at me.

"Who's Seth?" he asked out loud. The genius didn't even know his wolf's name?

**_Your wolf, smart one_**, I told him, **_every wolf has a name; you do know that we both have MPD, right?_** He looked at me incredulously.

"I do NOT have multiple personality disorder!" he said defiantly.

**_Do to_** I argued. He scowled.

"Erm, am I missing something here?" asked Rickie. I snorted in frustration.

**_Don't do anything stupid, I'll be back in a bit_** I huffed, running off to chase rabbits.

**_*Rickie POV* (see, I told you it'd be there sooner or later)_**

The silence was awkward, to say the least. Something had gone on between the two of them, and I had absolutely no idea what was happening. Brilliant.

"So…" I said, letting it trail off.

"What were you and Charlie doing?" I asked. It didn't make sense; he was talking to her, clearly, but she wasn't talking back.

"She was talking to me, then someone called 'Seth', who she said was my wolf, and accused me of having multiple personality disorder," he said, seeming slightly uncomfortable with saying so much. I laughed a little, getting a glare from Derek.

"You do, ya know," I said. He growled, and I raised my hands in surrender. I repeated what Charlie had said to me the first night we'd known each other.

"You've got a wolf in your head that talks to you, tells you what to do and takes control if you aren't paying attention. An alter ego, basically. That's called multiple personality disorder. That's exactly what Charlie said to me, and she lived with a wolf for the first five years of her life. She knows," I said. He just glared, but didn't say anything. I'm guessing he figured that he was wrong, and didn't like it. Vampire 1, werewolf 0. Go team.

"What's it like?" he asked, suddenly. I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Huh?" he rolled his eyes.

"Both knowing that you're mates?" he deadpanned. How did he know?

"H-how do you know that?" I stammered. He smirked, shrugging his shoulders dismissively.

"You can smell it," he said simply. Huh? I smell like Charlie?

"I don't follow," I told him. He glared at me.

"Mates scents are embedded in each other from the moment they meet, so another wolf knows that they don't touch; see?" he explained, "you smell like Charlie so that other wolves know to steer clear."

Well, that was enlightening. I was the property of a fourteen year old, temperamental werewolf. At least she was kind and pretty…

**_*Charlie POV*_**

**_Boys_** I grumbled, **_why are they so difficult?_** I asked Ethel.

_Because they're boys_ she replied. Yeah, real helpful. Thanks a heap. A twig snapped, headed to the clearing where I'd changed. Light footsteps and the smell of the living dead wafted over my nose. That little Necromancer had come out into the woods. I ran back to the little alcove of trees just as she stumbled upon it.

**_Perfect_** I muttered. Derek shot me a look saying 'give it a rest' and turned to Chloe.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked her, sternly but gently. She blushed slightly under the sudden scrutiny.

"I-i-I," she slowed down and took a deep breath, starting again.

"I heard a pained howl, and thought you'd gone out to change again," she said, looking him over.

"Not me, Charlie," he said, gesturing to previously unnoticed me. She jumped, taking in my red fur and gleaming amber eyes.

"But she… You…" she stumbled around in her mind, trying to gather her thoughts. She didn't do very well.

**_Can you ask her to stop staring at me? She's signalling a challenge_** I told Derek. His forest green eyes locked with mine and he nodded.

"Charlie wants you to stop staring; you're signalling a challenge," he relayed. Chloe looked at me in amazement.

"You're telepathic?" she asked. I snorted.

**_Only with these buffoons_** I said, and Rickie relayed before taking in what I'd said.

"Oi!" he exclaimed, "That's offensive!" I laughed at his expression

**_Whatever_** I said in his head.

My leg twitched in an alarming manner, drawing the attention of Derek and Rickie. Little Chloe didn't seem to notice until a whine bubbled up my throat. The change back was quicker and slightly less painful, but it still felt like I was getting beaten up multiple times over. When the Change was done, I lay on the ground panting. Rickie looked away (I think his cheeks even turned faintly pink), and Chloe blushed. Derek looked indifferent. I couldn't care less. We wolves don't really care if anyone sees us in our birthday suits; in a real pack, like the one at Syracuse, most of the members don't even bother to wear clothes. I put my PJ's back on after about ten minutes of just lying there.

"For those of you that care, I'm decent," I said, still tired from the Change. My stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten since the night before.

"I'm going to get food; anyone who wants to is welcome to follow," and with that parting note I left them all in a hurry to get to the kitchen.

They walked in on me scarfing a packet of marshmallows.

"Slow down; you'll get a stomach ache," cautioned Chloe. Yeah right; I can eat like a pig. I shrugged it off, still stuffing my face. When I was finally satisfied, I went back upstairs and curled up on the mattress next to my already sleeping packmate. I smiled, feeling better now that I'd Changed again. I soon returned to a calm, dreamless slumber.

**Well, thoughts? Suggestions? No flames, though; I don't like being burnt. Thanks for taking the time to read; please let me know whether you enjoyed it or if it was just a waste of you day (or night).**

**Thanks...**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


	8. A Past that is Slightly Revealed

**This chapter is a bit awkwardly written, sorry. I'm not so good at this… if anybody's heard of the competition, do you think I should enter something? Your input is appreciated. Warning; this chapter is a little bit creepy. You'll see… Thanks for reading this far; I hope it's not torture…**

**Key:**

_Ethelwulf or Rickie; they will never talk at the same time so it shouldn't be a bother. Kay? Kay :)_

_Seth_

**_Charlie_**

**_Derek_**

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own the DP characters, setting, ideas etc. The only thing that belongs to me is the plot, which I think sucks.**

**Enjoy :)**

Sunlight streamed through the open window, hitting my eyes and waking me up. There was bickering going on down below. I was alone in the room, sitting on the mattress in my dishevelled PJs.

I went through my daily routine, brushing teeth and hair, going to the loo etc. and went downstairs to get breakfast. Rickie was sitting in the lounge, a murmured conversation between him and Derek going on. I couldn't hear a word they were saying. Hunger won out over curiosity, though, and I decided that food was top priority at the moment.

Kit stood at the stove, frying pan in hand, cooking hash browns, eggs, pancakes and bacon. There were some, ok, LOTS of waffles in our giant toaster and about eighteen grilled cheese sandwiches in the griller. Mmmm… my stomach rumbled indignantly at the smells; tortured at the fact that it could eat anything that it was smelling. I agreed. I needed food. Sneaking behind Kit, I stuck my hand under the griller (no pain; being a werewolf has _marvellous_ advantages), and grabbed a sandwich. I got out just before Kit turned around.

"Hang on…" he muttered under his breath, counting the number of sandwiches in the griller. He furrowed his eyebrows and counted again, even poking each one with the spatula thingy that he used to flip pancakes. Then he turned to the door. Just as I was stuffing the last of the sandwich into my mouth. I was caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Or in this case, the griller.

"Did you just steal one of my sandwiches?" he asked, annoyed. I looked at me feet, shrugging my shoulders.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," I said. He sighed and shook his head.

"You're worse than Derek; how much can you eat?" he asked, mostly talking to himself. So even Derek wasn't desperate enough to snag food right out from under our guardian's nose, huh? Well, I wasn't Derek. I was Charlie, and NOTHING separates Charlie from her snackies. G

"Go wait for breakfast to be ready," sighed Kit. As I was walking away, I heard him mumble something that sounded like 'how much longer before we run out of food?' It was exasperated, and it made me smile. He knew I could hear him.

"What'd you do?" sighed Derek as soon as I walked into the room, giving me the 'you're-a-bad-puppy-because-you-peed-on-the-carpet ' look. So I gave him my best 'I'm-more-innocent-than-a-three-week-old-lamb' look. He didn't buy it for a second.

"Charlie," he sighed again, slightly more annoyed.

"I'm a wolf, that doesn't work on me," he reminded me. Damn, that's true. Crap.

"I might or might not have stolen a cheese sandwich out of the griller less than a meter from Kit?" I said, hoping for a little kindness because of the fact that I had Changed last night. Nope, the look in Derek's eye signalled that, even though I had gone through infinitely more pain than any pre-run he had ever been through, I was still a _bad_ puppy. Or wolf; he was the pup here.

"You did… what?" he said incredulously. Seriously, he knows how quiet we are.

"I maybe sorta kinda definitely stole food less than a meter from Kit without him noticing until he turned to the door and caught me stuffing my face," I said quickly, knowing he'd catch it all. He started shaking his head.

"That's not possible, that's NOT logical," he muttered over and over again. Finally, he looked up at me in astonishment.

"What did they do to you?" he whispered quietly.

Astonishment and, gone quickly, but not before I caught it, fear.

You could've heard a feather hit the ground even if you didn't have super-senses. It was so quiet. What _did_ they do to me?

**_Yo, Ethel_**, I called to my best friend since my first Change, **_you got a sec?_**

_What?_ She replied. Snappy thing; she was a bit moody because of how short my Change was.

**_Do you have ANY idea what the hell they did to me?_** I asked her, knowing she knew _exactly_ what I was talking about. She smiled secretively as best as a wolf could.

_I do_ she said, tilting her head and sitting down, _but you need to find out for yourself; if I tell you with words, you will rush the development and that will kill you_. She said gently. I opened the figurative me's mouth, but she cut me off with a sad, silent whisper.

_Just like all the rest_.

Images flashed through my head. The boys; three with regular green eyes, nothing remarkable, and one with the most vivid, forest green eyes you could ever imagine. Playing together, shunning the smallest one, the one with the beautiful eyes. A young girl with amber eyes and red hair being shoved around by the three boys with ordinary eyes. The young boy with beautiful eyes helping her. Then it changed.

Six beautiful little girls, all with flowing blonde hair and the bluest eyes you could ever picture, sitting in a sandpit, building things and just talking. Then, in the darkest corner, a seventh, with short red hair and golden, wolf's eyes. The other girls, the blonde ones, towering over the little red-haired girl, whose eyes filled with fear. The youngest girl, the small, red-haired one, being thrown into the air, where she hung, suspended by nothing, whilst the others laughed and went off to their own business. A single tear fell to the ground.

Then, the scene changed again. The six pretty girls with shining hair and blue eyes standing in a circle, eyes flaming a crystalline, dangerous blue that held your attention like a moth that sees a light. The young girl in the centre, with red hair and glowing gold eyes, began to scream. A blood-curdling, ear-splitting, inhuman shriek that pierced the darkness. A dark, deadly glow formed above her flame-red head, and shining shadows formed in front of each of the pretty blonde girl's bodies, merging with the dark glow. It turned to a clear, shining orb of purity.

Each blonde girl shrieked, screaming with the same inhuman frequency as the young red-head in the centre, and the clear, pure orb above the little girl's head dropped, crashing into her and infusing with her already screwed up genetics. The blonde girl's collapsed as one, pale as ice. One sentence word came from the tallest of them.

"Run from this place; what you have is a gift and a curse. We're sorry," she whispered quietly as her final breath left her. The little red-haired girl could feel something different; there were more. She already had one voice; now she had seven. Each of the new voices whispered secrets, chants, powers and abilities into her head. She felt like it would explode.

Something happened in her body; being what she was she was well aware of everything within herself. New strands of genes merged with her wolf ones; ones of power. She felt the energy stir within her. A brilliant burst of light, the same beautiful, crystal blue of the eyes of the dead girl's around her, flared from her body, pulsing around her head and chest. A wild scream filled the air for the third time that night, and in the darkness, the young girl collapsed. Her eyes fluttered open for the smallest of seconds as scientists poured into the room, all backing away slowly as the little red-haired girl opened her amber eyes.

Only, they weren't amber. They were a dangerous, pure, crystalline blue that burned with a ferocious fire.

**Well? That last part was ****_incredibly_**** hard to write. I nearly made myself cry… well, do you like? Now you know just ****_how_**** different our little Charlie is. Well, sort of. You don't know what those girls were. Let's just say that, whilst it's pretty obvious, it's not really.**

**Please tell me what you think; I sincerely apologise for the shortness of it, but, well, that last part was… scary for me to write. Yeah, I normally write creepy stuff, but never to that magnitude… please review; I need to know if you think there should be more flashbacks like this, parts of her past that Charlie has forgotten but Ethel has not, or… no I can't say that, that'll give too much away. I'll update soon with a chapter as long as I can make it (not ridiculous, though) to make up for the severe lack of words here.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read, please review; it's really appreciated :) Favourites are good, too. Thanks, everyone; really. Even if you don't review, I like to watch the little 'Views' number go up. Makes me happy that people take the time to look at my story.**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


	9. The Awakening

**Ok, here's your long chapter. I again apologise for the shortness of the last one. Sorry. I don't many many reviews at all :( It would be nice if you could take that little amount of energy to tell me whether my story is good, ok or complete torture that you don't know why you read… thanks for reading this far; I hope you keep reading :)**

**_*Derek POV* (I'm not sure how else to do this…)_**

"What did they do to you?" I whispered quietly. No wolf is that quiet; I hadn't even heard her come down the stairs. Her eyes went blank, and I heard a faint whisper in my head.

**_Yo, Ethel, you got a sec?_** asked Charlie's voice. A whisper of a sound came back, answering.

**_Do you have any idea what the hell they did to me?_** Asked Charlie. A long, whispery response, unintelligible to me, came back. Charlie, the physical version, actually opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by the whisper.

Silence followed, but by the widening of my packmates eyes you could tell that something was happening in her head. Her amber stare flickered to me, fearful. What was she seeing? Then, after a few seconds of silence, she screamed. It wasn't human, or wolf; it was something that shouldn't have been on this earth. She screamed again, dropping to the floor, crying.

Rickie snapped, moving to her side swiftly, but carefully. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up with her amber eyes. Rickie jumped away from her. Her head dropped, and she screamed again, before collapsing to the floor. Kit was in here quickly.

"What was all the screaming about?" he asked frantically, eyes flicking around the room, looking for any anomaly that might give him insight as to what had happened.

Then, he saw Charlie, dropping to her side. Her eyes flickered open again, only for a second, and Kit sprung away like he had been burned. I caught a glimpse of her eyes, then. They were no longer their warm amber; they had turned to a clear, cold, flaming blue. Her eyes fluttered closed again, and she lay still.

Everyone else ran into the room. Tori, Lauren, Simon and Chloe (and probably Liz too; she's always with Chloe) stopped dead when they saw her passed out on the floor.

"So," breathed Lauren ominously, "it's finally begun." She looked to Kit, expression solemn. He nodded slowly, wearily sitting down on the couch.

"Derek," he said tiredly.

"Yeah?"

Could you take Charlie to your room?" he asked, and I saw Chloe's eyes widen slightly, a hint of jealousy forming in them. I nodded, scooping my unconscious packmate off the floor and carrying her to the mattress we slept on.

**_*Charlie POV*_**

My head was pounding. Voices, external and in my head, were whispering to each other. In my mindscape, where there were only ever two beings (me and Ethel), there were now eight. Six beautiful, blonde haired, girls with flaming, crystal blue eyes sat around Ethel, and the group was talking quietly. As I approached, I caught snippets of what was being said.

_Will she be ok?_ Asked Ethel worriedly. The tallest blonde girl bit her lip, thoughtful.

_If she survived the process,_ she said slowly, her voice clear and pure, like her eyes, echoing slightly.

_Then she should be ok_ finished one of the other girl.

A synapse of memory fired through my brain. These were the girls from my, or Ethel's, memory. They had grown into teenagers, a few years older than me, but they were the same girls.

**_What's going on here?_** Asked imagined me. They all looked at me, Ethel's amber eyes out of place among the girls blue ones. The smallest one, who I assumed to be the youngest, stood, walking towards me. She looked normal; your average blonde. Except for her eyes, which were flaming blue; dangerous.

_The memory re-awakened us_ she said to me, taking me by the hand a leading me to the little circle. I sat next to Ethel, feeling safe with my wolf. She shifted closer.

_We are the girls you spent the first part of your life with _said the one who led me to the circle.

_I am Juliet_ said the one who looked eldest, _Volo half-demon._ She smiled at me.

_I am Lillian_ said the next one, going counter clockwise around the circle, _Exhaustio half-demon._ She also smiled, slightly less sweetly though.

_I am Arabella, Tenubrae half-demon_ said the third one. Her clothes were all black, where the others wore white t-shirts and jeans. She was slightly creepy.

_I am Jasmine, Conscientia half-demon_ whispered the fourth. Her eyes held a knowledge that no teen should.

_I am Lotus, a powerful shamen_ she said, smiling kindly. She was nice; I might like her the best.

_And I am Marie, a necromancer_ said the last girl, sitting next to Ethel. She was the one who had walked me over to the circle. All these girls were like carbon copies of the one next to them. At first appearance anyway. As they spoke, I noticed slight fluctuations in their vocal tones, and their eye colour varied ever so slightly. They had all listed powerful abilities.

**_Why are you in my head?_** I asked them; I thought it was an obvious question, but apparently it wasn't. The eldest, Juliet, answered.

_We discovered the Edison Groups true motives,_ she said simply.

**_That doesn't answer my question,_** I pointed out. Lillian continued the statement.

_We imparted our gifts onto you, transferring our souls, and therefore life-force, into you so you could get out._

_It was both a gift and a curse we gave you_ murmured Jasmine quietly. The others looked to her, and I got the sense of an ongoing argument.

_We did what we had to do to survive and ensure the life of Charlotte_ snapped Arabella. This topic was obviously well-worn and getting old.

_But she shouldn't have to bear the burden of power that now lays upon her shoulders_ argued Jasmine, her voice getting stronger as her opinions were challenged. Ethel and I exchanged a glance as the fight continued.

**_I must be schizophrenic_** I muttered under my breath. All heads whipped to me and Ethel, as though they had forgotten we were here.

_Sorry _they all murmured at once. I nodded.

**_So what do all those fancy names mean?_** I asked, talking about their abilities.

_Telekinesis_ stated Juliet, and they went round in the same order as before.

_Fire_

_Darkness_

_And telepathy_ they said without fault. Great; what was I gonna do with all this?

**_Since you imparted your gifts and souls into me… what happens to me?_** I whispered, scared.

_You gain our abilities, one at a time, when your physical entity is fit to take the strain_ answered Juliet,_ you've already demonstrated Arabella's ability to go completely unnoticed by all, and Lillian's ability to withstand heat. The extent of our power is far beyond that, but the transition for you will be gradual. It could take months, it could take years; since you're a wolf, it happens faster than normal anyway, but the genetic experimentation done by the Edison Group has altered both our and your supernatural capabilities. These abilities should all be in place and under control by the time you are twenty._ Apparently she was the most knowledgeable on this subject.

I felt a tug, drawing me back to the conscious world. Marie sent a pointed look to Jasmine, and she nodded, closing her eyes. The pull minimised, and Marie took me aside.

_Now that we've awakened, the ghost will see your glow and they will come. There are already many outside. Take this_ in her hand was a beautiful, blue stone that matched her eyes. _It will keep them away and control your ability to summon and raise until you next fall asleep; I will teach you control then._ I nodded, slipping the necklace over my neck, the blue stone cool against my chest.

**_It was nice to finally speak to you all_** I murmured to them, and they nodded, each smiling an individual smile. Jasmine looked up, the concentration gone from her face, and at once the tug came back. I didn't bother to resist.

"FINALLY!" shouted Simon, causing me to yelp and slap my hands over my sensitive ears. The silence had been broken suddenly, and that never does any good.

"Sorry," he said, quieter. Then, damn him, he shouted again.

"SHE'S AWAKE!" he yelled out the door. Footsteps pounded from every direction, and the whole house was soon crowded around me. Floating above the head of Chloe was a girl in a yellow Minnie mouse nightie and purple giraffe socks. She was semi-transparent, and was staring at me in wonder. I lifted my hand, waving slightly, looking straight into the eyes of the ghost, who yelped quietly.

"Chlo, she can see me!" she whisper shrieked into Chloe's ear.

"Not possible, Liz; she's a werewolf," muttered Chloe.

"No, seriously, see her necklace? And her glow's almost as strong as yours, but such a pretty orange…" she murmured the last part, reaching out over everyone else's heads and brushing her hand about half a meter in front of my face. I looked at her quizzically, earning a look from Chloe that clearly said 'what the h is going on here?' Well, that's for me to know; not anyone else just yet.

"You-" began Lauren, but I cut her off.

"I know what happened, thanks all the same," I snapped, causing her to take a step back.

"More than you do, that's for sure," I told her, getting up and stomping to the kitchen, completely ignoring the protests from my pack. I was hungry, and no one gets between me and my food.

As I was demolishing a bag of extra cheesy CC's, again (I love CC's), Derek came up behind me.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. I shrugged.

**_We're going to the forest at midnight tonight; no Changing. Just talking; you weren't alone in your childhood_** I told him. His face took an astonished expression before settling again in its blank, stoic gaze.

**_OK_** was all he said in return, before spinning on his heel and leaving me to crunch my nacho chips in peace.

At exactly five to twelve, I woke up; it was Marie. She had been teaching me all about the summoning, raising and banishing of ghosts and the different types (poltergeists, ghosts, shadows of death), when she reminded me of my promise. She knew I was going to tell Derek, just like she knew he was my packmate and had a right to know. She had no objection to him; everyone else was a different story, but Derek was allowed to know. Only Derek.

Pulling on a coat, I shook his shoulder and stood up. He followed silently, ominously, as we made our way to a clearing deep in the forest area.

"What happened?" he asked for the second time that day. I sighed.

"Well, I'm officially schizophrenic," I told him, offering up a slight joke to ease the growing tension. He broke into a smile, before frowning slightly. Indignant 'hey!'s were going off in my head, quite loudly, and I nearly missed what he said next.

"Why?" he asked. Man of many words, isn't he? I sighed, sitting cross-legged on the forest floor as an owl flew by, hooting, it's amber eyes locking onto mine before it ended the life of its next meal, a little mouse. That's how I felt just now; like a mouse about to be impaled by deadly strong talons and eaten. Well, there's no point in delaying the inevitable. Derek was watching me expectantly, waiting patiently for whatever I had to say.

"Before I was a part of your pack, back at the Edison compound," I started slowly, "I was in a room identical to yours with a group of girls. Six tall, slim girls with flowing blonde hair and flaming blue eyes," I gauged his reaction carefully. His eyes widened ever so slightly at the mention of blue eyes. I pushed on, scared that I'd lose my nerve before I finished what I had to say.

"They bullied me constantly, throwing me around, using their supernatural gifts to cause me hell. One day, though, one of them discovered what the Edison Group was really doing, and they spent so many late nights awake whispering unintelligible nonsense that I lost count. One night, at midnight on the full moon, they snatched me from my bed, laid me in the moonlight and stood in a circle, holding hands. I don't remember much after that, just pain, inearthly screaming, the six girls dropping to the floor dead and scientists slowly backing away from me in fear." I took a deep breath, pausing for him to compute.

"The girls aren't gone, are they?" he accused. I shook my head.

"They're all here," I sighed, tapping my temple, "you have Seth, I have Ethel, Juliet, Lillian, Arabella, Jasmine, Lotus and Marie," I rattled off the names. He looked at me like I was a mad woman. He could be right.

"This has something to do with why you can do things that aren't normal?" he asked hesitantly. He wanted to know, but at the same time he didn't. That, I definitely understood.

"That ceremony, the one that killed them, poured their souls and abilities into me; Ethel showed me the memories and that's what woke them up. I'll start gaining their abilities when my body can take the physical strain of it; or if I'm in desperate need and the only way out is one of the abilities," I said, yawning. I was tired; I wanted to go back to bed.

"Can…" began Derek awkwardly, "can I talk to one of them?" he asked eventually.

"Maybe… give me a sec," I ordered, retreating into my mindscape.

**_Derek wants to speak to one of you; is that possible?_** I asked them all. All heads turned to Jasmine, who sighed and came forward.

_Go sit in the circle_ she sighed quietly, stepping forward and vanishing from sight. I looked at the others in confusion.

_She'll be back, don't worry_ said Juliet calmly. All I could do was wait.

**_*Derek POV* (again; only way I can do this, sorry)_**

Charlie closed her eyes and retreated into herself. When they opened again, they were a stunning, clear blue that was shocking.

"I am Jasmine; you wished to speak with us?" she whispered quietly. The voice did not belong to Charlie.

"What are you?" I blurted. She smiled a little.

"I am a Conscientia half-demon, but we are all different," she said, still quiet.

"There are Volo, Exhaustio and Tenubrae half-demons, as well as me, and a powerful shaman and a necromancer. I must go now; Charlie is getting touchy being trapped in her subconscious," and her eyes swirled back to the sparkling amber.

"Well, that was strange…" she muttered, mostly to herself. She looked up, smiling brightly.

"Kitchen raid?" she asked, yawning. I shook my head.

"Nah," I told her, "nap time," she smirked, and we went inside and upstairs silently, curling up on our mattress and falling into a comfortable sleep.

**Ahhh… that was even harder than the last one. I'm gonna make this quick, since I really need to go to sleep.**

**Thanks to Jozabelle and Ninjadan436, for reading and reviewing like I asked you to. Thanks guys! Also, to JuliaPossum, for her continued support and reviews to my story. :) Every review makes my day.**

**I like constructive criticism; tell me what you do and don't like, and I'll try and modify my writing style to suit your tastes a bit more. No promises, though; I am very set in my ways.**

**The two demon names are actually Latin words for things that relate to that power (tenubrae means 'darkness', conscientia means 'thought'. Google is a marvellous thing).**

**Now, I need to go to bed; 12:30 am on a school night is not good.**

**Till next time!**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


	10. A Slightly More than Awkward Situation

**Hello! Thanks to Sparrows97 for the review, follow and favourite; much appreciated! Anyway, how was that last chapter? Was it a bit confusing? It was difficult to write… Anyway, I again apologise for the horribleness of these chapters. This is where my stories start to… fall rapidly.**

**Thanks for reading this far; please review and tell me what you think, even if you don't have an account your opinion is very welcome.**

**Now, on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer (double time): I forgot to do the disclaimer on the last chapter… oops. Anyway, I don't own anything Darkest Powers; don't sue me.**

Whispering. Feather light touches. I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by a shroud of the dead. They'd seen my glow. I sighed, getting out of bed.

"I'm going to have a shower," I told them all, "if one of you even sticks a finger through the walls or door, I will banish you as far as I can. Got it?" I asked. The lot of them nodded.

Stepping out of the bathroom, most of the ghosts had disappeared, bored from waiting. I smirked; that was the plan. One girl stood out, though.

She had a yellow Minnie mouse nightie on and purple giraffe socks. Her blonde hair ran down her back, and her blue eyes sparkled out of her pale face. She was sitting on my bed, swinging her foot, watching me expectantly.

"Hi," I said, looking at her. She smiled.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, "you can see me! I've got to tell Chloe!" she went to move, but the lessons Marie gave me came into play. She couldn't move, and she frowned at me.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Don't tell ANYONE I can see you, or any ghosts at all," I told her, "when the time comes I'll let them know. For now, this is secret," I warned her. A glint in my eyes made her back down from an argument.

We talked for a while, being alone and all, and I found out that her name was Liz. The Edison group had murdered her because she couldn't control her powers. She was a Volo half-demon, just like Juliet. I heard footsteps, and make a silence gesture. She nodded, fading into the wall. Rickie walked through the door.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone," he said wearily. Now having a wolf is incredibly useful.

"I was talking to Ethel," I said, using my innocent face. It worked, and he shrugged.

"Come down to breakfast; there's bacon," he ordered, stepping out of my way as I raced down the stairs, the scent of bacon filling my nose and making my mouth water.

Derek sat at the kitchen table, chomping his way through a large plate of food. He looked up, a strange emotion flying through his eyes, before going back to eating. I soon joined him, plate piled high with food, and dug in. As I munched away, Jasmines quiet voice filled my mind.

_They all fear you_ she whispered. I closed my eyes, entering my mindscape, finding the others off in lala land, messing around.

**_What makes you say that? _**I asked her, just as quietly. She just… demanded quiet when one was around her. She shrugged, a secretive smile pulling at her lips.

_I'm a Conscientia half-demon,_ she reminded me. Right, telepath. Got it.

**_Charlie?_** Derek entered my mindscape, blinking in surprise and looking around. His eyes found us.

**_What's happening here?_** He asked. I shrugged, looking to Jasmine.

_It's nice to see you for real, Derek_ she teased, and he looked confused before placing the voice.

**_You're the one who I spoke to_** he accused her. She shrugged dismissively, not admitting nor denying that fact. Derek furrowed his eyebrows.

**_Where are we?_** He asked. Juliet came up behind him.

_You're in Charlie's subconscious mind space_ she told him, and he jumped. His eyes flicked between Juliet and Jasmine, confused.

**_And how did I get here_**? He asked suspiciously. She shrugged her shoulders.

_I'm guessing you tried to contact Charlie whilst she was here, so her subconscious brought you here. I don't know_ she admitted.

A loud, external noise snapped through my mind.

"Charlie!" it shouted. I winced, tugged roughly out of my mindscape along with Derek, who jumped at his sudden entrance to the physical realm.

"You were both spaced out…" Kit stated the obvious. Duh.

**_Don't tell him_** I warned Derek sharply. He'd stopped jumping at least.

**_Fine_** came the short reply. Typical.

**_But we will discuss this later_** he continued after a pause. Crap; not good. He gave me a stern glare, and I sighed. Damn he's persuasive.

Kit looked between us suspiciously.

"What's going on that I don't know about?" he asked, the suspiciousness in his gaze flowing into his voice. _There's something they're not telling me_ Kit's voice flowed like a single strand of a spider web into my mind; it was all I could do to not jump in surprise.

"It's nothing; just a coincidence," I lied. I don't believe in coincidence.

**_~TIME JUMP~_**

"Alright, what did you not tell me?" Derek was hammering me with questions the moment we were alone. Rickie had gone out hunting, and the rest of the girls had gone shopping. I'd pled unwell, and due to my recent… incident, I was given reprieve from the torturous excursion.

"Umm…" this wasn't gonna be fun. What would he do if he found out I had four half-demons, a shaman **(A/N: I know, I spelt it wrong in the last chapter. Sue me)** and a firecracker of a necromancer living in my subconscious? Only one way to find out. I took a _very_ deep breath.

"I kinda sorta maybe have four genetically altered half demons, a genetically altered shaman and a super powerful genetically altered necromancer living in my head," I muttered, very quickly. He processed the words, slowing them down in his head so that he could actually hear what I was saying. He caught on, and he glared at me.

"FOUR half-demons!" he practically yelled at me. I gave a semi-full growl at the sudden threat. He was standing, arms spread wide, in front of me, and it symbolised a challenge. His glare hardened, and he returned the half-growl. Ethel got twitchy. Even the six other girls in my head took a battle position, though what they could do through me scared me. I growled full throat this time, causing my packmate to jump backwards in alarm, backing down from the challenge. Ethel smirked, and the seven little figures (six human, one wolf) in my mind relaxed, falling out of their battle positions.

"Four," he repeated shakily. I nodded.

"And a necromancer and a shaman?" he repeated again. I nodded again. He sighed, running his hands down his face.

"Is that how Jasmine was able to come forward?" he asked tiredly. I nodded; it made sense.

"So, what are their abilities?" he asked. This conversation seemed to involve a lot of questions. I sighed.

"Is there any way I could get out of telling you this?" I asked hopefully. He gave me a half-hearted glare and shook his head. I sighed again, resigned.

"Volo, Exhaustio, Tenubrae and Conscientia," I said, remembering the names easier than I thought I would. He looked up at me with an annoyed expression that clearly said 'in English please'.

"Telekinetic, Fire, Darkness and Telepathic," I mumbled.

"And a shaman and a necromancer," he whispered under his breath, trying to grasp all this. I didn't blame him; it overwhelmed me as well.

"Yep," I muttered. All the eyes in my head were on my subconscious figure, and just when I thought it couldn't get any more awkward, it did.

"Hey Charlie," said Liz, appearing from nowhere. I literally fell off my chair, startling Derek and causing Liz to start laughing.

"Don't DO that!" I growled, annoyed. Derek looked at me, confusion painted on his face. I shrugged.

"The necromancer abilities kicked in when I blacked out; I'm talking to Liz," I explained. Liz looked at me like I was mad.

"I thought we weren't going to tell anybody?" she exclaimed, making threatening gestures at Derek.

"Whoah! Calm down, Liz; he's pack. He's allowed to know; he has to," I calmed her. She settled down, but still made the brush fly off the dresser and smack Derek in the back of the head. He rubbed it, scowling, as I tried – and failed – to stifle a laugh. Liz laughed full on, and soon we were both rolling around clutching our stomachs.

In my head, the rest of the girls were doing the same; they found it incredibly funny, seeing the big bad wolf silenced by a tiny pink brush. Then, Rickie walked in. He saw the brush on the floor, me laughing my head off and Derek scowling with his hand on the back of his head. He easily put two and two together, and started laughing with me. Derek just growled half-heartedly, smirking a little. Our good mood was contagious.

"What… happened," asked Rickie between gasps of air, "that made you throw the brush at him?" he sobered up a little. Derek opened his mouth, but Jasmine quickly stepped forward and took control. My eyes turned an icy blue and she glared her best (which was _very_ impressive) at him. He immediately banished all thoughts of what he was going to say, enraptured by the flaming, crystal blue. Jasmine stepped back, allowing me to the front of my mind.

_Problem solved_ she said quietly. I nodded, smiling my thanks.

_Hurry up and get out there before your body blacks out_ she hurried me. I raced to the front of my mind, making it just in time as I saw little black spots dance across my vision.

"We were talking and he annoyed me with his one word answers, so I threw the brush at him," I covered. I hated lying; Ethel whined at me for deceiving my mate, but Arabella started to explain the situation to her quietly and she piped down. Rickie seemed to be able to scent the lie, and his brow creased a little, barely noticeable, but he bought it.

The seconds ticked away in silence, which was getting to me. Jumping to my feet, I ran and got my Ipod from its charging dock and scrolled through the playlists. I selected one of the songs I always used to motivate myself. The slightly techno beginning was the only part of the song that I didn't particularly favour.

_I know your intentions_

_I've seen the way you work_

_You love destruction_

_You love pouring on the hurt_

The lyrics played.

_Iiiiii-I_

_I am stronger than you think_

_Iiii believe you'll never get the best of me_

The boys both spun their heads to me. They had picked up my hidden message. This one was mostly meant for Derek. He nodded, acknowledging my statement. He'd better believe it.

"What's that song called?" asked Rickie. I knew the title, artist and lyrics by heart.

"Stronger Than You Think by Fireflight," I said** (A/N: I don't own the song; all rights go to fireflight)**. He nodded, storing it away.

The song switched; the playlist was on shuffle mode.

_If I gave you the truth would it keep you alive_

_Though I'm closer to wrong I'm no further from right_

The first line played and the song registered in my mind easily. Truth by Seether **(A/N: again, I own nothing; all rights go to Seether)**. Awesome song. Derek listened to the lyrics, and a smirk worked its way onto his face. He looked at me, his smile wolfy. 'uh oh' flashed briefly through my head before I was tackled to the floor by a green eyed werewolf. The wind was knocked out of me momentarily before I took up the pack challenge. Play fights, scuffles like this, were not uncommon among packs. The song must've given Derek an idea that awakened his wolfy urges. I smirked, throwing him off with my legs and sitting across his stomach, holding his arms down.

He rolled over, pinning me, and my knee connected to his stomach hard enough to knock the air from him but not enough to hurt him. His grip loosened slightly, but that was all I needed. I flipped us again, me on top, using my legs to restrain his this time. However, my arm was too close to his mouth, and he bit me gently. I yelped, and he took advantage and threw me off. I was tossed halfway across the room, landing in a crouched position, and turned to face Derek, who was mirroring me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rickie watching on it fear.

I smiled a sharp, predatory smile, my teeth elongating ever so slightly. Derek copied, his teeth the same. At the same moment, we launched ourselves to the centre of the room, colliding with a bang and falling to the floor, scrabbling around, trying to find a purchase on the each other that would give us an advantage. Rickie slipped from the room as two cars pulled up and footsteps entered the house. We were having too much fun to care.

The door to our bedroom was open, and as the rest of the 'pack' filed upstairs, they heard the play-fight and came to investigate. Of course, they all got the wrong idea. Lauren had a different wrong idea, but they all still had the wrong idea. We stopped, separating slightly, flushed.

"Ugh, shut the door!" shrieked Tory, covering her eyes. Chloe looked on open-mouthed, her face going red. I looked down at my clothes and saw why; both our clothing was torn in… let's say 'awkward' places and leave it at that.

"I told you they were dangerous!" shouted Lauren over the muttering. Everyone looked at her.

"Fulfilling teenage urges is hardly dangerous, Lau-" he didn't even get to finish the sentence.

"They aren't fulfilling their 'teenage urges', as you put it; they fighting like wild dogs!" she shrieked, voice getting higher and louder each time she spoke. Derek rolled his eyes, turning his back to the group and grabbing a shirt for each of us out of our respective drawers and tossing mine to me. We both changed shirts, everyone looking on with jaws on the floor as we both stripped in front of them. Simon and Chloe both looked jealous.

"First off," I growled, "we weren't doing any of those things; we were playing," they looked at me blankly. I growled again, and Lauren jumped.

"You've seen cubs in a real pack play-fighting, werewolves are exactly the same. We physically fight with each other rather than throw a ball or something. Our clothes were torn because of our teeth," I explained slowly, like talking to someone who was slow, bearing my still sharper teeth. "Make sense?" I asked, in a tone that you didn't want to say no to. Everyone nodded, and Chloe and Simon looked relieved. Lauren looked suspicious.

"Second, we're werewolves. When we change back, we're naked. In a pack with both male and female wolves, it would be a serious issue if we couldn't stand to see each other in our birthday suits. Our body overrides the 'blush and turn away' reaction when we're around our kind. It makes getting along easier. We clear?" I said, again using my 'say no and die' tone. They all nodded. Good.

"Now, I'm hungry; what's for dinner?" I asked unexpectedly. Kit looked somewhat taken aback by my sudden change in attitude, but answered nonetheless.

"Steak and mash; I'll go cook some now," and he walked down the stairs like a man in a trance. Dinner passed uneventfully, although I knew that what had happened today would blow up in our faces sometime soon. And I would bet my tail on it that Lauren would be at the centre of the problem.

**Well? That was also hard to write. It seems that once I write something creepy, or a battle scene or whatever, I lose all my good ideas and any scrap of talent I have. We've reached the big 20 thousand! YAAAY! Tell me what you think? Please? I'm giving up my good nights of sleep to write these for you! Seriously, it's midnight again. I need to finish up here. Goodbye for now!**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


	11. A Familiar Face That Isn't Welcome

**Hey everyone! Yeah, I know, I missed my checkpoint… sorry. I had something written up, 1000 words exactly and counting, and then forgot to save the damn thing. I'm so smart, aren't I? This is why I try not to write cliffies… this one might be a cliffie (mega super uba emphasis on MIGHT), though, because something BIG is gonna happen.**

**Oh, I changed my mind again, by the way. Derek has gone through pre-runs and whatnot, he just hasn't completed the Change. Yet. I think you know what's gonna happen here now. That's not the big thing, though, so no spoilers.**

**I hope you enjoy; it may not flow because of my absence and the fact that I don't do so good with leading up to stuff, so… yeah… I'm gonna shut up and let you guys read now, because this is what you've been waiting for! Here it is, and a cupcake for your patience *hands out super awesome and mega tasty cupcakes*. Don't worry; I didn't make them myself, you won't die of food poisoning ;)**

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, have no claim to the rights of the ever-awesome Darkest Powers series, as Kelley Armstrong beat me to the idea… **

**I do, however, own Rickie, Charlie, Seth, Ethel, Juliet, Lillian, Arabella, Jasmine, Lotus, Marie, Nigel/Nosferatu, Antonio and just about every Edison goon you read about (except the ones you recognise from the books, duh; if you recognise anyone else, you can assume that it was a creepy coincidence. Kay? Kay.)**

**If you steal them, my PSYCHO BUNNY army will sneak into your house in the middle of the night and assassinate you favourite foods, toys, books and movies. They are psychic PSYCHO BUNNIES, so you cannot hide. Got it? Good.**

**Now, threats and complete and utter blabbering mumbo jumbo aside… ENJOY!**

I was in the darkness, talking to my mental posse.

_I want to teach you how to control my ability_ said Jasmine suddenly. I nodded, quietly moving to the front of my mind and waking myself up. I sat up, stretching as usual.

_Hurry up; Derek is about to wake_ warned Jasmine.

**_Gimme a sec!_** I grumbled. I do not appreciate being woken up.

"What is it with you and sneaking out a night?" a low voice rumbled beside me. I didn't jump; he was pack. I sighed, continuing my stretching, hoping he'd go back to sleep. No such luck, unfortunately.

"Answer me, Charlie," he whined, a little desperate. I turned around, facing him, gleaming amber eyes meeting and holding a glowing green.

My wolf eyes took in his appearance; he didn't look well. He was sweating slightly, and his eyes were too bright. I narrowed my eyes, and he looked as sheepish as a wolf could. He was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Although, if I had a choice, I'd burn this particular cookie jar then drop it off a cliff **(A/N: if you didn't pick up on the humour, sorry; I have incredibly dry humour. Imagine the Change being a cookie, and think about it that way. Back to the story!)**.

"When?" I hissed at him. He shrugged. Filthy rotten liar. We _always_ know when it's gonna happen. Even I could smell it. Tomorrow night.

"Liar," I muttered. He glared at me angrily.

"Give it a rest," he murmured in a frustrated manner, "now answer the question." Ugh, he was so frikken stubborn.

"I'm going somewhere," I told him. Even I didn't know where I was going. In my head, Jasmine huffed angrily. He looked at me annoyed.

**_I'm going, I'm going!_** I growled at her.

_Bring him if you must_ she snapped.

"Fine, come on," I muttered, getting up and moving quickly to the door. He followed silently.

We stopped at every corner, listening for movement and looking for places to hide. The only sounds were our quiet breathing, the slow and even breathing of Si and Tori and the hushed voices of Lauren arguing with Kit in the kitchen.

_There's a stain on the roof, and a little divot in roof in it; barely noticeable_ said Jasmine. I saw it and nodded absently.

_Jump, grab the divot and pull; there's a trapdoor to the attic. That's where we're going_ she told me. I did as she said, jumping and grabbing the divot. As I landed, a trapdoor was tugged open and a ladder silently folded down.

"How did you know about that?" asked Derek, bemused.

"Telepathic half-demon, living in my head; Kit knew about it," I told him. He shrugged as he remembered. The ladder was in perfect condition; the oil in the hinges had been applied merely days before. Kit wanted this room for something.

_Not Kit; someone else was here_ an eerie voice said from my head. It was Arabella.

**_How can you know?_** I asked her. She shrugged, a secretive, and honestly quite creepy, smile tugging at her lips.

_Everyone has a shadow_ she said, mysteriously, _and shadows are my specialty._ Creepy? Oooh yeah.

A dusty room lay before us. Chairs, portraits, old desks, candelabras, chandeliers; everything an old Victorian house would have. Shivers ran down my spine; a smell lingered in this room. Fresh. Human. Unfamiliar. Not Kit, and not Lauren. It mingled with something very familiar, but not recognisable. I sniffed around the room. Why did I know this scent? It smelt a bit like Rickie, only rather than being sweet and like homemade brownies, it was like stale biscuits, and a hint of decay. It was horrible.

"What do you smell?" asked Derek in confusion. The scent wafted from the window on a gentle breeze as an owl hooted out over the forest. The open window. A shadow flicked across the yard, so fast I barely caught it. Nothing mortal, nothing natural, could move that fast.

_Shut the window!_ Shouted Jasmine desperately. Hurriedly, I snapped it shut, fastening the lock.

Of course, a rock chose that moment to fly through the window. I ducked just in time, but it hit Derek square in the chest and knocked the wind from him. A soft 'oof' echoed around the near silent attic.

Someone had been in our 'safe' house. Someone who was obviously not a friend. This was not good.

_Now would be an excellent time to teach me, so I can scram!_ I urged Jasmine. She nodded. Her eyes were fearful. Why wouldn't they be? They only thing that was keeping her and her sisters, as I had figured out they were, was me; if I died, so did they.

_Sit in the centre of the room, and tell your packmate to keep his distance; if he touches you, he'll overload your mind and it __will__ kill you. I need to awaken your sixth sense. It is less painful this way than it is if you do it for Volo first_ she explained, as I moved to sit in the centre of the room. Derek moved too, but I put my hand out in the gesture for 'stay'.

"If you touch me during this, it will overload my brain and it will kill me," I warned him, "just to let you know, this will hurt me; you are not to do anything to comfort me until Jasmine says so," I commanded. He whined low in his throat, the thought of pack hurting but not being able to help making him uncomfortable.

"Shhh, it'll only take a minute," I tried to comfort. He just looked at me and sat about five meters away from me.

I felt cold touches at equal intervals down my spine and I closed my eyes on instinct. Then, the touches came into contact with my eyelids, soft as butterflies wings. Lastly, they came to rest on my temples, and blinding pain flashed through my head. I opened my mouth, but no sound poured out. I was dimly aware of Derek whimpering in the corner as whispers and mutters flooded my head. The searing pain continued.

Eventually, as the pain died down, the whispers vanished. The headache was still there; if I moved, it felt like someone was stabbing something straight into my cerebral cortex and twisting it around(even though your brain actually has no nerves in is whatsoever). I slammed my eyes shut, the dim light pulsating through my head. I whimpered quietly; Derek was doing everything he could to not come to my side. A dim whisper in my head, as Derek's thoughts wound their way into my mind. At this point in time, I was in too much pain to heed what they were saying.

_She needs to sleep it off; your touch will no longer kill her_ said Jasmine softly to Derek. Almost immediately, overly warm arms wrapped around me gently and I was pulled softly into a warm, strong embrace, sat on someone's lap.

_Mmm_ purred Ethel. _Pack_ she murmured happily, sleepily. _Safe_. Derek gently rocked me back and forth, trying to calm my whimpering. I felt myself falling asleep, and I tried to fight it.

_No!_ Jasmine objected, _if you don't go to sleep your subconscious won't be able to adjust; you need to rest_ she said. I stopped fighting, falling into a dreamless, painless sleep. Even my mental posse left me alone.

**_~~~~TIME JUMP~~~~ (we love squiggles!)_**

Ugh. Sunlight streamed through the window. For a moment, I just lay there groggily, hoping that the sun would suddenly black itself out. The last night came back and I sat bolt upright. Someone had been in our house. Someone had tried to hit me on the head with a rock. Someone had been moving too fast to be a human or any natural creature. Someone was going to try and take us down. And I needed breakfast. Now.

The scent of bacon drifted up to my nose and my mouth watered hungrily. I hadn't eaten since dinner. Food was a necessity, so I raced down the stairs as fast as possible without face-planting in the process. Soon, I was seated next to Derek, eating bacon and happy.

Derek, on the other hand, didn't look so happy. His eyes were glowing brighter than they had been last night, he was still sweating and his leg was twitching every now and then. He was definitely Changing tonight. And no one else had noticed his discomfort except Chloe. But she was his mate, so that didn't really count.

**_I suggest you stop eating, or that's gonna be horrible to throw back up_** I reminded him. He shrugged.

**_If I don't eat, they'll know something's up and I don't want that_** he said, picking at his food uncomfortably.

I sighed.

**_Fine; I'm standing away from your head when you Change, then_** I muttered. His head snapped up, gleaming eyes locking feverishly onto mine.

**_And what makes you think that you're coming?_** He asked indignantly. I rolled my eyes.

**_Sheesh, you seem to forget that I'm the only one here who is able to help you completely_** I reminded him.

**_I can take care of myself_** he growled, physically bristling up. People were starting to notice the visible things we did - rolling eyes, sighing, growling quietly - and were starting to watch us. I didn't care.

**_What I saw last night, whatever threw that rock, you will not be able to take care of if you're lying on the ground, throwing up your stomach and having what most people would call a seizure_** I retorted, growling as well. Kit and Lauren were looking between us, Simon and Tori had paused mid-argument to watch, and Chloe had her eyebrows raised.

"Stop staring; it's impolite," I grumbled through my mouth full of food, causing them to jump. They all hastily went back to what they were doing. For the most part, I was happy with that; except for Simon and Tori. They went back to arguing.

"C'mon, EVERYONE knows that ham is WAY better than bacon!" shouted Simon. Tori huffed.

"Puh-LEASE, bacon is, like, the KING of breakfast foods!"

"What if it came from a female pig?" asked Simon snarkily. Tori narrowed her eyes, magic dancing at her fingertips.

"Bacon is better," she said dangerously. Simon lifted his hands, readying a knock-back spell, as Tori grabbed a plate and flung it at Simon's head. His knockback spell took effect as it flung at me. Everyone's eyes went wider than the plate as it flew at my head. I put my hand up calmly and caught it easily. The pack's eyes went wider still. Really? I'm a werewolf, guys; super-reflexes ringing any bells?

"Bacon and ham are the same thing," I pointed out. Simon and Tori threw matching glares at each other. If I didn't know any better I'd say they were siblings. Hang on… I drew in a deep, subtle breath through my nose; only Derek noticed, his eyebrows raised. Sifting through, I found the scents of Kit, Simon and Tori, and compared them. Both of the younger Spellcasters had the same scent on them, and Kit had that scent imbedded deep within his own.

**_You have a step-half-sister_** I told Derek, keeping my surprise mental only. My poker face was the best of the best. Unless you count Derek, then… well, I'm still second best.

**_Huh?_** He spluttered, keeping his face completely neutral. He was good.

**_Tori is Simon's half-sister, and he is your step brother, so you have a step-half-sister_** I said, like it was totally simple. He just sent me a pointed look.

I sighed, and the whole group looked to us again. I ignored them.

**_Simon and Tori have an underlying scent that is exactly the same; Kit also shares that scent, only stronger because it is his. Only his biological children will have that same scent on them, which means that Tori and Simon are half-siblings_** I explained slowly. Derek, still looking at me, raised his eyebrows. Everyone in the room was watching the silent exchange.

**_You got all that_** he stated slowly, incredulously, **_from a single, underlying scent that I can't even know exists?_** He asked. It was my turn to look like he'd just spoken gibberish.

**_You mean you can't smell it?_** I asked. He shook his head, and the eyebrows of all onlookers went straight up.

"What's going on here?" Tori and Simon whispered to Chloe together, glaring at each other when they realised what they had done. She shrugged.

**_You have an incredibly sensitive nose_** he muttered, almost to himself, but still directed to me.

**_I figured_** I responded sarcastically. He just glared.

"As interesting as this… whatever you're doing is," said Tori annoyed, "we don't know what the hell's going on," she pointed out. That was kinda the whole point of doing that through the Pack Bond.

"Pack Bond," I said simply. Kit and Lauren understood, but everyone else was blank.

"How do you think they talk to each other when they become mutts?" asked Lauren, insulting us. Derek and I let go of two deep, resonating – but still not full throated (since Derek's still a pup and can't do that just yet) – growls that vibrated through my chest and throat.

"I don't know what your problem is, woman, but we are every bit of a 'mutt' as you are," grunted Derek angrily. Lauren shook her head incredulously.

"How dare you compare me to a simple dog!" she shrieked. That was breaking point for me. Or would be, if Rickie hadn't come in through the door during the exchange and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Cool it; you don't want to give her a reason to get rid of you," he murmured calmingly.

Instead of lunging across the table like I'd originally planned, I just bared my sharp, elongated fangs in a long, drawn out growl that Derek could only dream of until he completed the Change. Lauren jumped back, fear rolling off her in horrible smelling waves. Ick. It smelt… how do I put this?... it smelt tangy, like it would leave a bad after taste in your mouth.

"That's enough!" shouted Kit. Chloe looked frightened, Simon looked intimidated and Tori looked impressed. I shrugged, and sat down to finish my orange juice.

**_~TIME JUMP SINCE THE DAY WAS SOOO BORING~_**

I was sleeping calmly when something in my wolf DNA woke me up. Derek was moving quietly out the door. Now I knew how he caught me when I had to Change; pack genes don't wanna be left behind.

"I sensed you," I said quietly, just as he was opening the door. He spun around, nearly losing his balance from a dizzy spell, itching his arm so hard it was bleeding. I gasped as the smell of blood tinged the air.

"Stop scratching!" I hissed, "there's a vampire in here and you're bleeding!" he warned him. He blanched slightly, applying slight pressure to the new wound so it would heal up quicker.

"Can we go? Please?" he asked hoarsely. I nodded, grabbing a jacket as a 'just in case', since I don't feel the cold, and followed him out. We went to the same clearing as last time, and Derek stripped down to his boxers.

"Those are gonna tear if you leave them on," I reminded him. He nodded, removing them as well, and getting down on all fours. His body began to convulse, and I moved to rub his shoulder. He threw up again and again and again.

"I warned you," I muttered under my breath, earning a growl. I huffed at him.

"That doesn't work on me, remember?" I reminded him. He just whimpered. Course black fur began to sprout, recede and sprout again, his ears shifted and his tail began to extend. He looked to be in agony.

His back jack-knifed into the air, which would have thrown another person aside. I simply stayed, rubbing his shoulder as it grew higher and higher, bones bending at an unnatural angle. Finally, he lay, panting, as a large black wolf with beautiful, glowing green eyes.

**_You like my eyes, huh?_** He asked playfully. I nodded.

**_I'm allowed to like your eyes; besides, I've already got my mate and you've got yours_** I said, playing along with him. His beautiful green eyes saddened.

**_She doesn't know_** he said sadly. My heart broke for him.

**_I'll Change; we can be sad for our loss of good mates together_** I offered. He looked up at me.

**_He knows; we were talking about it when you ran off to chase rabbits_** he said. I glared at him.

**_That's all well and good, but it don't mean he's gonna do anything about it_** I pointed out. He shrugged as best he could, what with it being awkward as a wolf.

**_Gimme a sec_** I said, stripping down suddenly. Derek sat and waited patiently. I hadn't tried this yet.

I focused, letting Ethel take control. My body temperature sky-rocketed, and I almost immediately threw up. Bleahg. The Change came quickly, bones snapping and rearranging within minutes and, after about five minutes of utter agony rather than Derek's ten or so, I was a red wolf with glowing amber eyes.

Slow, mocking, single-personed applause came from behind the trees.

"Bravo, bravo," said a smooth, cold voice that was all too familiar.

"I must admit, I'm surprised you found your lost packmate; and, in this form, you're so much easier to take," he said cockily. Derek and I both snorted. We were big, even for werewolves. One thought ran through my head.

_Bring it, Brick-Boy_

**You know the drill; please review, tell me what you think. Thanks for reading, see you next chapter if you think it's worth your time. The big thing has happened; tell me what you think, if it was too predictable and you saw it coming from a mile away, any tips on how to improve (unless you're from an Eliminator, Critics United or anything stupid like that forum; you aren't welcome to review. I don't like you).**

**Thanks for reading, see you when I next update (hopefully)!**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


	12. Umm, Brick-Boy, You Dropped Your List

**HELLO MY PEOPLE!**

**To start off with, acknowledgments for the people who continually review; you make my day :)**

**Thank you JuliaPossum for the continued support and positive feedback; go easy on the squealing, though. I heard that duct tape, whilst a fashionable accessory when worn over the mouth, hurts like hell when you have to take it off. Also, WynterThatCrazyGirl, thanks a heap for reviewing and for holding a PM convo with me :)**

**Now, the continuation of the little spat in the forest. Please enjoy; I suck at writing stuff like this so… yeah…**

**Disclaimer: **

***sighs heavily* Do I have to do this?**

**(all the annoying government and copyright people) YES YOU DO**

***pfft* Fine; I don't own Darkest Powers. Don't sue me.**

**On with it!**

**_~ANTONIO POV~ (bet you didn't expect that one, did ya?)_**

I clapped slowly, sarcastically, as that mutt turned back into a wolf. Her and the black one had just sat, staring at each other, for ages after the black one morphed. It looked painful.

"Bravo, bravo," I said, and the red wolf's head snapped up in my direction, nostrils flaring.

"I must admit, I'm surprised you found your lost packmate; and, in this form, you're so much easier to take," I said, disgust making my voice sound arrogant. They both snorted in disdain.

Both were big, even by werewolf standards. Maybe this wouldn't be such a piece of cake… no, Davidoff said that they would be easy. And I wanted my revenge; that Charlie got me thrown out of my own coven! She had to go down, one way or another.

Then, they growled. Full throat growls that, quite frankly, were terrifying. It resonated through the clearing and into the trees. No, no fear, they can't hurt me. They can't hurt me. My breathing calmed slightly.

The big black one stepped forward, growling. The red one followed, and they had a brief staring contest before turning back to me.

"You can't hurt me, you know; you're nothing but lowly mutts," I said, even to myself I sounded arrogant. The black one looked ready to prove me wrong.

The red one growled deeply and the black one howled. It was long and eerie; a normal wolf sounded like some cheap knock-off. Lights flicked on in the 'safe' house, which, really, wasn't that safe. Ever heard of closing the window? Apparently not. Stupid people.

Doors slammed, and multiple sets of feet ran towards the clearing. Damn, I was caught.

I turned and ran for the hills, or EG, and thought I felt something slip out of my pocket. No time now, got to run before I lose my throat, which I happen to like very much where it is at the moment.

**_~CHARLIE POV~ (did ya enjoy that?)_**

Un. Be. Leivable. He came to OUR territory and threatened us on our own land! A strong, low growl ripped through my chest, before the fever returned. Lauren, Kit, Chloe, Simon, Rickie and Tori had arrived at some point. I started convulsing as they arrived. Rickie immediately moved to come towards me, but Lauren, that bleep, stopped him.

"She'll kill you, idiot," she hissed. Rickie glared at her, shaking her strong grip off and dropping to my side anyway.

I threw up. Again. I thought I'd emptied my stomach already? Ugh. Derek started Changing back next to me, everyone watching on confused. They hadn't seen him until he started to do the same as me, what with him being black and all **(A/N: no racism here; I am not a racist)**… soon, we both lay naked in the centre of the clearing, the rest of the group turned away. Really? We all have the same bodies. Sheesh, humans are so… strange.

"What happened?" asked Rickie desperately. He was worried.

"We were confronted by Antonio," I said. He bared suddenly deadly fangs in a feral hiss. He looked madder than I'd ever seen him. I sniffed, the smell of stale foods wafting from the direction he'd come from.

"He's been watching us in the safehouse," I informed everyone. Now I knew why the smell had been so familiar.

Kit looked astonished and Lauren… the bleep looked at her feet with a small smirk on her face! She knew; I'd bet my tail she told him where to find us! The audacity of that woman! I growled at her suddenly.

"You knew," I growled. Her head snapped up, eyes wide.

"You knew all along; you told them where to find us!" I accused, my voice deadly quiet. Derek took one look at her face, and scowled deeply. A full throat growl resonated from my packmate. There it is; knew he'd find it eventually.

"Y-you're delusional!" she stammered, trying to cover her treachery **(A/N: you have no idea how long it took me to remember that word; I even hit myself on the head hard enough to cause brain damage…)**.

"I told you they're dangerous!" she screeched. Derek growled again, lower and more threatening.

"Cool it, wolf-boy," I told him. He shifted his glare to me.

"Don't call me that," he grunted.

"Give it a rest; I'm trying to do this," I said. A cloud moved out from in front of the moon, and a flash of white on the ground caught my attention. I pounced on it. It was a single slip of paper, marked in neat, black ink.

**_CONFIDENTIAL_**

Underneath that, in small, precise script, read the dreaded words. This piece of paper was important.

That small, precise script, read two words.

_Edison Group_

**Well, how did I do for this? Sorry for the shortness of the chappie. Not the big fight scene that was probably expected, but I'm working on it. I need to give it some good odds, so be patient. It will happen eventually. I hate switching POV's, just saying; I write from the POV of a character that has a bit of my own personality in it. Antonio was difficult.**

**I should probably tell you now, this has no planning, no editing, no proofreading, nothing. Never has and probably never will; every chapter is a first and final copy, and I never know what's gonna happen. That's why most of my stories suck. Kay? Now, if you're worried about where this might go with that little revelation; have fun, it'll be a strange ride. Not necessarily wild, but strange nonetheless.**

**Ok, now that's over with, I got some begging to do. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review for me! I have twenty-four reviews. That's less than one review for every thousand words! I work really hard on this, so I'd really like some feedback. Thanks if you do, thanks if you don't. Either way, you've read it and given me one more view (which are at 595 at this moment, so that's ok…)**


	13. Dealing With Lauren Pt1 sad AN :( soz

**Hello! Yes, Chester is actually the lead singer of Linkin Park; his outfit is the London ITunes concert (2011). Asher is basically an exact copy of one of my old friends, but he moved :( As annoying as he was, I do miss him; listening to Linkin Park reminds me of him because the lead of LP (Chester) is just… they look sorta similar to me and… yeah, Chester just reminds me of Asher… so… yeah, I've told you enough; time to shut up.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers as much as I want to… I know, it's so sad; come mourn my loss with me**

"Guys," I said, voice filled with dread, "this piece of paper is very important." I turned slowly to assess the group's reactions. They were completely ignoring me, staring at Lauren with mixed looks of horror and disgust. Lauren looked nervous, worried and defiant all at the same time. The only scent rolling off her was fear. Thick, intense, terrified fear.

"H-h-how c-could y-you?" stuttered Chloe. Tori looked ready to explode, magic dancing on his fingers, and Simon looked like he wanted to throw something. Only Derek noticed me, taking a glance at the single piece of paper and blanching as he read it.

"These monsters deserved to be locked away," she spat angrily. I glared at her, Derek barely containing his growl. Rickie looked as though he wanted to throw not just something but _her_.

_She called our mate a monster; she must pay_ an alter ego in his head growled at him. He grit his teeth, hands flying to his side in tight fists, trying to control his temper.

"Lauren," said Kit, looking broken that the one adult he trusted could turn on him like this.

"Save it Kit, we've been discussing this… matter for far too long; I just took things into my own hands and made the best decision," she said angrily. She wanted to win this argument. I wasn't having it. Then, an unexpected ally stepped into the argument.

"Y-you didn-n't make th-the r-r-right dec-c-ision!" Chloe yelled, stuttering as she stood up to the only mother figure she'd ever had. That seemed to decide it of Simon. It looked as though Tori didn't care, as long as the traitor was mangled beyond recognition.

"Derek is an important part of this family; we'd still be in Lyle House, doped up on way too much meds, if it wasn't for him!" shouted Simon angrily. He was defending his brother fiercely. I'll just fade into the background.

Or not… a very unexpected champion stepped forward for me.

"And Charlie's just as human as you are!" shouted Tori, quivering with pent up anger and the magic at her fingertips. Lauren just scoffed.

"Please; I don't turn into a filthy mutt every time I lose my temper," she argued, "I am far more human than they will ever be!"

This argument was getting nasty. Yes, that comment was expected, but it sure as hell hurt. Slipping away completely unnoticed, even by Derek, I snuck back to the house to listen to Linkin Park. Right now, I needed to vent. What better way than listening to a cute guy swearing during some awesome music? The piece of paper tucked safely in my pocket, I lay on my bed, stuck in my headphones, and turned the music up as loud as I could stand it. I just let my worries slide away.

**_~CHLOE POV~ (I'm trying something new here; don't blame me if this sucks. But it's necessary for this part of the story; very necessary)_**

I just couldn't believe it. My Aunt Lauren wanting to get rid of Derek? One of the few things in life at the moment that made me truly happy? And Charlie? The new family member that we barely knew. I thought that you 'never judge a book by its cover'? Or, in this case, a supernatural by their race… Seriously; where was all this coming from?

"The mutts need to be monitored closely, and if necessary put down," my Aunt enforced. Derek and Rickie looked fit to burst, Tori and Simon looked as though they were about to snap and blast her with every spell they could think of, Kit looked surprised and Charlie looked… where's Charlie?

"Err, guys," I said quietly. No one so much as flinched. I spoke up louder.

"G-guys!" damn stutter. Simon, Tori, Aunt Lauren and Derek gave me their attention. Kit looked away with the fairies at the betrayal. I don't blame him.

"Has anyone noticed that Charlie's m-missing?" I asked. I only stuttered once, thank goodness. Derek looked around shocked, surprised he hadn't noticed. Rickie looked worried beyond belief, before shaking it off. A look in his eye said 'I'd know if something was wrong'. Somehow, I didn't doubt that.

"She left after Lauren said she was far more human than they are," said Kit suddenly. His jaw was set in a stubborn line, his almond eyes hard with strong dislike for how my Aunt was treating her son and his pack.

"It's the truth!" Aunt Lauren persisted. The more she spoke, the more I hated her. The anger bubbled up so suddenly that I couldn't stop it. It was unleashed in a solid burst of pure, necromantic power.

The earth all around us vibrated as corpses were drawn up. Most were animal, but two stood out. Human males, barely decomposing, still fully clothed. One had an expression that was annoyed, but terrified and looked willing to forgive. The other, though (who looked much more muscled than his friend, who was quite scrawny), had a look of only pure hatred. He scared me.

I released them as quickly as I could, but that was not the last I would hear of them. As soon as the corpses had dropped to the ground, barely empty shells, two ghost boys stepped forward.

"Why the **** you do that!" demanded the taller, muscly one. He had tattoos, piercings, and was dressed in a plain black Tee with straight jeans and a simple chain necklace. A black watch was wrapped around his right wrist, indicating left-handedness **(A/N: not true; it's actually on his left in the concert, but I wanted him left handed)**. I stepped back as fast as I could, intimidated by this boy. A rock flew up and hit me in the head.

"As funny as this is," drawled the other one in a slightly nasally and a little bit annoying voice. He had a slight Australian accent, but it was clear that he was American first and foremost.

"I don't think it's a good idea to stone the only person here who can see us," he pointed out. The other checked his rage, but a cold malice settled in his eyes. We were not going to get along well.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" I stuttered. The mean one glared, but the short one just ignored it.

"Asher at your service," he said, a mocking bow accompanied the teasing voice. Nasty stayed silent.

"He's Chester, and he's not that friendly," he nodded to his companion. He scowled a scowl that easily rivalled a werewolf's.

"Are you supernatural?" I asked. The dreaded speech impediment stayed dormant for the time being.

"Volo half-demons," stated Asher proudly; he was very satisfied with his ability. His brother just grunted, annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked them. Chester shrugged.

"Attacked, killed, buried. You raised us, we wanted to see who dragged us back into those filthy things," said Asher. I blushed a little.

"I'm sorry," I apologised, "I got mad and lost control…"

"And raised everything within a ten-mile radius? Yeah right," scoffed Chester.

"Hey, be nice," scolded Asher.

"Yeah; I'm pretty screwed up," I muttered.

"Charlie had something to show us," Derek broke the silence.

"What?" asked Kit.

"A piece of paper marked 'confidential' concerning the Edison Group," he stated, monotone.

We all rushed inside, ghosts included.

**Hey everyone; I'm so sorry. I may not update for a while; I've lost all ability to write this story properly. It is going on a temporary hiatus (hopefully temporary; I should start writing it again in a while). I've got other Darkest Powers ideas, one of which I've already started to work on but will not be posted for ages. I'm starting on another one which won't leave me alone and will post it if I deem it necessary.**

**I am SOOOOO sorry about this, but you WILL hear from me again; I will make sure of it. Please look at my other Darkest Powers story that I'm going to put up; it would mean a lot if I could get reviews on that one.**

**Thanks, I'm SOOO sorry!**

**~shovelgirlERB000 OUT**


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